THEFT FROM A MAN-OF-WAR.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9421, 17 April 1909, Page 8

THEFT FROM A MAN-OF-WAR.

It became known at Sheerness a few weeks ago that a sain at bad been stolen ,from the monoy chest on board. His Majesty s battle-ship-orniser Indomitable, of th § division of the Home fleet. Ibis is the new ship in which the Prince of - "Wales travelled Canada last year, returning home at -the remarkable speed 0f'35.18 knots from land to land. The information was conveyed by wireless telegraphy from Captain BE. a- King Hall, C. 8., D.5..0., A.D.0., commanding the Indomitable, to the naval authorities at Sheerness, who at once communicated with the county police to institute inquiries as to whether any or the missing had k e . en ni ? „ ie H £SOO of the. money 1 being in £5 Bans of England motes and the remaining £2300 in gold. 1 ' The notes and cash were last seen safe in money chest at noon on the Saturady, ..the Indomitable at the time being in the Medway, off Port Victoria. The Indomitable left Sheerness on Monday afternoon with the battleship Lord Nelson and other ships of the Note division, and her headquarters for the week are at Deal. The robbery must have been committed between noon on the Saturday and the* departure of the snip on fine Monday!, and* although various conjectures are hazarded, there is no - authentic information as to bow the theft was effected. It is not known at Sheerness whether anyone is missing from the Indomitable or whether the chest was forcibly opened. An inquiry will be held on board the Indomitable into the circumstances "attending the my a terious affair. On board His Majesty ’s ships the money for the payment of the officers and men —usually a very large aggregate sum—is kept in a chest, the key of which, in accordance with the regulations, should never bo out of the care of the senior paymaster, -The principal accountant officer on hoard the Indomitable is Fleet Paymaster Henry de Conroy Ward, who entered the navy nearly 81 years ago, and reached his present rank in August 1903. In the past, few years he, has been the senior paymaster successively on board the''Lion, formerly training ship for boys at Devonport, and the, battleship Triumph, of the Channel fleet. He is an officer of the highest standing and long experience. He was selected in May last for appointment to |the Indomitable for the Royal cruise, and has since, of course, remained in the ship. This is not the first time money has been lost from the public chest in a man-of-war. On a former occasion, though the mystery was never solved, it was suspected that at some time, long before the _ r °h* bery, possession had been obtained of the key by an unauthorised person for a sufficient time to enable a mould to be taken in wax. The duplicate key was then apparently kept for a considerable time, until a favourable opportunity occurred for carrying out the robbery. If, however, in the case of the Indomitable, access was gained to bv such means, it is difficult to conjecture how the thief could have conveyed ashore such a large sum fn gold as £2200, equivalent to about 851 b weight. All persons entering and leaving men-ot-war do so under the scrutiny of the dockyard police in a naval port. • Men going Qn leave on passing through the dockyard gates are scrutinised by the.police, 1 and it is the custom to indicate men —chosen here and there as they pass oat —to enter the police office and submit to a searoh. [A recent cablegram said that a petty officer and four men had been arrested, and a burglar’s outfit had been discovered in their possession.]