INGENIOUS DEVICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 240, 30 December 1927, Page 13

INGENIOUS DEVICE

SHOP-LIFTERS* METHODS SYDNEY DISCOVERY quartlrs^wm-e^maze^Tt.theTngenvfity fo n r d thfVoncealment “stolen SrpTZJEra r^a h „ Who charged on several counts of stealing. It consisted of a box, wit.h l oose fitting lid, carefully covered with a folded brown paper wrapping, which was pasted on to the two sections, and surrounded by dummied strings. When closed the box was a perfect representation of an ordinary shopping parcel, carefully wrapped and tied. Several boxes of different sizes were found by the detectives at a house in Abbotsford. The police state that the contrivance is a novel one as far as their experience goes. To a man carrying such a box under his arm, they state, it would be a simple matter to slip into it articles displayed in stores. The inventor of the contrivance was arrested by Detective- Sergeant Watkins and Detective Delaney, on a charge of having stolen frocks valued at £2O from a large city firm. The detectives were accompanied by the man later to the house in Abbotsford, where, it is alleged, hundreds of pounds’ wortli of valuable goods were found stacked openly on tables, shelves and mantelpieces. About £2OO worth of the goods was recovered and taken to police headquarters. The detectives allege that an admission was made in regard to this property, but that difficulty would be encountered in establishing the origin of the remainder, which was left at the house. Several charges have been laid with respect to the goods, and others are pending. The arrested man is employed in the city. It is alleged that the goods were stolen during his lunch hours, and taken to the house by another person, who waited outside the stores in a motor-car. The detectives believe that the two men have been operating for some months.