ROBBERY ON BOARD THE SCHOONER 'LETITIA.'

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 85, 17 January 1872, Page 3

ROBBERY ON BOARD THE SCHOONER 'LETITIA.'

The schooner ‘ Lietitia’ arrived in harbour on Monday afternoon from Levuka, bringing several passengers and a small cargo. From All* John Smith, the chief officer, we gather the following particulars of a robbery of over £lls in cash and cheques, which occurred on hoard the vessel since her leaving Levuka on the Gll i inst. It appears that, on the evening of the sth, Mr 15. Hooker gave into the charge of Mr J. Smith a sealed parcel of money, addressed to Messrs McArthur, Shorn, and Co., Auckland, to the amount of £‘J5 10s (consisting of £22 10s. in gold and £73 in cheques), and for which he gave a receipt. The parcel he placed the same evening on a shelf over the captain's cabin. The next day, just after weighing anchor at Levuka, Mr Smith noticed the parcel just as he had left it the night before. No more notice was taken of the money until yesterday afternoon, when the vessel anchored off the Queen-street Wharf. As the passengers were about to put off from the schooner for the shore, Smith went below, and then for the first time missed the parcel of money. The boat was called hack, and a messenger sent for the police. Sergeant Pardy and Water Police Constable Oarrigan and others came on board, and the passengers were all searched, but without finding any trace of the lost packet. They were then allowed to leave the vessel. The ship was next carefully searched by the police, assisted by the crew of the vessel. Up t-o a late hour last night no traces of the money had been found, although the most active steps were taken by the police to sift the matter to the

bottom. On leaving Levuka harbour it appears that two or three boats were towing astern of the schooner, and it is just possible that some one may have noticed the parcel, and taken it when every one connected with the vessel was busily getting the vessel out to sea. — D. S. Cross.