JEWEL HAUL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 760, 5 September 1929, Page 15

JEWEL HAUL

Smart Capture of Sydney Thieves MAN’S DUMMY AUTOMATIC The ■whole of the jewellery, valued at £2,170, stolen recently from the residence of Mr. Ezra Norton, a Sydney man, was recovered one evening last week. Two young men were arrested in dramatic fashion in a city jeweller’s shop, and were then brought, hand cuffed, to the detective office. Later they were charged with the theft. One of the arrested men had a fully-loaded colt revolver, which was part of the robbery, in his pocket, and the other had a dummy automatic pistol, a splendid representation of a real weapon. The jewellery included a diamond lace brooch, a diamond-set wristlet watch, a fine diamond solitaire necklet clasp, a diamond bracelet, a string of graduated pearls with a solitaire diamond clasp, and a two-stoned diamond platinum ring worth £7OO. UNREMITTING SEARCH Since the robbery was discovered the entire resources of the Criminal Investigation Branch were concentrated upon the recovery of the property and the arrest of the culprits. The theft was accomplished be tween 7.30 and 5.30 o’clock, and if was clear that, great coolness and daring had been displayed. The detectives first compiled a list of ivery known criminal of the class known as “second-story cat burglars,” and then, by a process of elimination, narrowed the list down to those who were considered “good enough to do the job.” Then a ceaseless vigil was maintained. Indeed, for 40 hours the detectives concerned did not have a total of six hours’ sleep each. They “shadowed” two young men to a jeweller’s shop. A third man entered almost on their heels, and then the detectives hurried through the doorway. Each .secured a man. with Sheringham, the odd detect! re, standing in the doorway. As Detective Arnold seized one man, Sheringham saw him fumble in his pocket, and he seized him by the wrist to ,nd that he was grasping a colt revolver. The man who was the third to enter the shop gave a satisfactory explanation, and was released, but one of the others had the stolen Norton jewels in his pocket, while his com panion had other jewellery concerning which his explanation was not considered satisfactory.

THE CRIME RECONSTRUCTED The detectives completed an ingenious reconstruction of the crime. They consider that the thief, whoever he was, entered the front gate and crept noiselessly round tho house. Passing one window he peered into the cosy interior to see Mrs. Norton eu grossed in a book. He then went to the rear, discarded his shoes, and, climbing a verandah post, reached the roof, and tried several windows let into the roof, to find that they were securely protected by wire. He descended to the verandah prised away some wire which pre vented his entrance, and then reached the verandah, which gave easy access to tile house. The first room he entered, they believe, was Mr. Norton’s, and it was here that he secured pearl studs, sleevelinks. other small articles, and the colt revolver. The next room was Mrs. Norton’s, with its rich con tents. Some of the booty was obtained when there were sounds from below, and the thief, tip-toeing to the top of the stars, peered downward to see a fat, sleepy household dog cavorting hither and thither in great excitement. The dog was yapping Iran tically, and the thief realised that his presence was ltno-wn to the animal at least. However, he returned coolly to his search, and a few minutes later, when Mrs. Norton was heard ascending the stairs, he hid. She came into the room and then went into another room. As she did so the thief noiselessly escaped, put on his shoes climbed the back fence into an ad joining house, reached the street, and later on Old South Head Road. He hailed a taxi-cab and was driven to the city. MRS. NORTON REMEMBERS “I remember the dog becoming ex cited,” said Mrs. Norton. "At the time I was annoyed by his interrup tions, but as he continued to be per sistent, I thought he wanted to go out side and chase the cats he. had heard wailing a few minutes earlier. “I opened the door to allow him outside, but he would not go. It was evident then that something else was exciting him, and as he appeared .n terested in the stairs I ascended them. “He was delighted.”

“I made a search upstairs, and it was then that the robbery was dis covered.”