A BANK MYSTERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 190, 31 December 1912, Page 5

A BANK MYSTERY.

ROBBING A STRONG-ROOM. . A SYDNEY SENSATION. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, December 30. A mysterious robbery has been discovered at the Surry Hills branch of the Bank of New South Wales. Two thousand three hundred pounds lias been abstracted from the strong-room. The branch has just been built and had only been uspd for business for half a day. The authorities took possession on Friday.

The robbery was discovered by the teller, who sleeps on the premises. He missed a portmanteau from his room last night, and during his search found a packet of coppers in the back yard. Hurrying inside lie discovered that the strong-room had been opeed and closed again. Nearly all the money it contained, except a few packets of copdisappeared. The mystery arises from the fact that the strong-room was fastened by a Chubb lock, which could only be opened by two keys, of which the manager holds one and the teller the other. They locked the safe together on Saturday at 1.30 p.m., noting carefully that •both keys turned. The robbers on closing the door only turned the bey corresponding to the teller's, thus leaving the safe half locked. Four hundred of the missing money consisted of gold, twelve hundred of, silver, and a few pounds of copper; the balance was notes. It was a heavy load, for two portmanteaux would not carry it, and two bags at least must have been used. The irony of it all is that the bank's baek yard, through which it is believed the thieves escaped, laces Bourke street police barracks, where an army of constables is constantly training. The only solutio suggested at present is that moulds of the locks were taken while the strong-room was being constructed. This happened recently in the case of an important city building.

CLEVER AND DARING WORK. FURTHER DETAILS. Received December 30, 10 p.m. Sydney, December 30. Investigation of the sensational bank robbery indicates that it was the work of a clevetr and daring cracksman, i

When the cover was removed from the locks it was evident that the levers had been cut with a file, in some cases to the extent of fully an eighth of an inch. The cracksman or cracksmen displayed extreme carefulness. The locks were marked "T." and "I!.", meaning "top" and '"bottom," so no mistake was made in replacing the levers, which were also marked with the same object. The strong room door had been hung six weeks. The thieves must have visited the premises one night whilst they were unoccupied and removed the locks, cut them to fit their keys, and replaced them.