HOTEL ROBBERY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 52, 4 March 1915, Page 8

HOTEL ROBBERY.

ALLEGED THEFT OF £l4l.

TWO GIRLS CHARGED WITH

CLEVER RUSE.

Per I'kess Association

Wellington, March -i

Dorothy Scoullar (otherwise Soutar;, and Leslie Reid were committed for trial on a charge of stealing £l4l 5s from the Duke-of Edinburgh Hotel on February lb! It was stated that £5:3 13s 8d had been recovered, the balance having been spent by the girls, who were arrested at Woodville and afterwards confessed to the police.

Stated the. New Zealand Times of the 20th February:—

A nurse-girl, a baby, and an actor and his wife are the principal characters in the most sensational robbery story which Wellington has been connected with for some time. A very smart piece of work ,on the part of Detective Mason and Acting-Detective IVicklebank was responsible for two attractive-looking girls, Leslie' Reid, aged twenty, and Dorothy Souter, aged twenty-two years, being arrested on a charge of having stolen the substantial sum of £l4l in notes and gold. The allegations against the girls and the details leading up to their arrest make a most interesting story. included, in the guests at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel here are Mr and Mrs James Thompson, an actor and actress, better known as "The Sohos." They are engaged on the I!ul-ier-Brennan circuit, and are travelling with their baby daughter. The exigencies of their profession demand a nursegirl to take charge of the baby in the evenings while they appear at the theatre. They have experienced the same difficulty as every other resident of the Dominion, permanent or otherwise—the scarcity of suitable female help—and although they have been in Wellington under a fortnight, they have had no less than five nursegirls for their family of one.

A RESIGNATION. ' Last Tuesday, Dorothy Souter, who had been acting as nurse for a short while, left at midday, having given up her duties for some reason, and Mrs Thompson could not find another girl; So on Tuesday night they were fortunate —or unfortunate--- n securing the services of a friend's little girl about ten years of age to look after Baby,, while Mrs Thompson and her husband went to the theatre. The allegations go on to say that this little girl was carrying out her duties faithfully in the evening, when at 9 o'clock there ■ was a knock at the bedroom door. .

"Is, Mrs Thompson in?" inquired an attractive-looking girl of twenty or thereabouts. j

"They are at the theatre, and won't be back till 10 o'clock," was the reply. "1 wanted to see her about the position of nurse, but I'll call again in the morning. Will you tell her that Miss Ileid called?"

The little girl assented. Then the caller asked her to show her to.another part of the hotel, and the little girl accompanied her there, and, it is alleged, at the caller's request, stayed with her. Then Baby cried, and the young nurse hurried back to her charge.

NOTES AND COLD. Mr and Mrs Thompson, early in the, week, drew the sum of £l-10 from their employers for salaries and expenses. They secreted the money in two trunks. Mr Thompson put his £65 in notes and gold in a wicker trunk, which he was in the habit of leaving unlocked, anfl Mrs Thompson similarly left hers, some £7O, in her leather portmanteaux. At 10 o'clock the next morning the money was gone! Detective .Mason and Acting-Detec-tive Tricklebank were detailed for the case. For some hours they were unable* to gather in any clue, but they discovered that two strange girls had been seen going up the stairs in the hotel at 9 o'clock the previous evening. The name of Reid particularly interested them, and learning that Dorothy Souter was the last nursegirl, made inquiries at the two girls' homes. Neither had slept at home the previous night.

BY MOTOR NORTHWARDS. Further inquiries elicited the fact that two girls answering the required description, had hired a car at one of the local garages that morning, and had set out for Palmerston North. The oar broke down at Porprua, and ie occupants adjournefl to the local hotel until repairs had been effected. The detectives, learning some more facts from the hotel proprietor, gave chase, by telegraph, to the car, and found that it had reached Palmerston North, and been further chartered by the two girl occupants to go on to Woodville, where races were being hold. More telegraphing, and quiet hands took the girls from the course, and last night they arrived at Thorndon station in charge of the police.

[ , INTERESTING LUCCACE. They brought hack nearly a shipload of luggage, too. It is alleged that it contained expensive fancy goods, pretty little Indian-ware trifles, such as miniature elephants, and a large quantity of expensive hats, lingerie, and dresses, purchased from Levin and Palmerston North establishments—a most interesting collecffloh altogether. That is the story. The police have put two and two together regarding the girl Reid's visit with the little temporary nursegirl to another part

of the hotel, and now allege that sbe and Souter are responsible for the theft of £14.1. The'gill Souter is alleged to be married, and lived at Courtenay place. while Heid, until her visit to the races, occupied a room in \ ivian street. I