“THIS SIDE UP.”

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2209, 16 April 1880, Page 3

“THIS SIDE UP.”

A novel illustration of the ingenuity of thieves has just been afforded by an incident reported from the Continent. For some time past a K’orth Gorman Railway Company Jias been suffering from the repeated loss of goods which were scut by luggage train, and which, notwithstanding all researches and pre-

cautious, continued to disapear iu a very mysterious manner. The secret, which the inquirers set on foot had failed to discover, was at length revealed by a rather amusing incident. Along box on one side of which were words equivalent to “ This side up,” had, in disregai’d of this caution been placed up on end in the goods-shed. Some time afterwards the employes were not a little startled to hear a voice apparently proceeding from the bos in question, begging the hearers to let the speaker out. On opening the lid the railway officers were surprised and amused to find a man inside standing on his head. In the explanation which followed, the fellow wanted to account for his appearance under such unusual circumstances as due to the result of a wager; but he was given into custody, and it was soon found that the thieves had adopted this method of conveying themselves on to the railway premises, and that during the absence of the employes they had let themselves out of the box, which they at once filled with any articles they couldlay their hands on, refastened the lid, and then decamped, leaving the box to be sent forward to its destination in accordance with the address upon it. But for the unfortunate inability of poor human nature to endure an inverted position for an indefinite period, the ingenious authors oi the scheme might have flourished a long time without detection.—" Chambers’s Journal.”