The Robbery of Gold from the Avocs.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3047, 20 November 1878, Page 2

The Robbery of Gold from the Avocs.

Shortly after the arrest "of Martin Wiberg on suspicion of having stolen 50C0 sovereigns' from the bullion rcom of the B.M.S. Avoca, of which vessel he* was carpenter at the time, the press were in possession of certain information pointing to the feet that some other person holding a responsible position 1 on board the vessel at the time the offence 'was committed had acfed. in confederacy witk Wiberg in abstracting the sovereigns from the treasure room. Indeed, as a matter of" fact, it became known that Wiberg, on finding that he had nothing to gain by remaining silent in the matter, made a full confession of the whole affair, Implicating Elliston; the chief officer of the vessel; who appears to have acted as the prime mover in the robbary, having first taken Wiberg into "his confidence; On tb« abresgth of the carpenter's confession an informaticn was accordingly, sworn against Elliston, who is at present in England, and particulars of the affair were at once telegraphed hornet with the view of acquainting the ; P. and.Q. Company in London, in order that a warrant might be issued for the arrest of Ellifeton. For obvious reasons, therefore, an understanding was arrived, at to the effect that the full facts of the case in connection with 1 Wiberg's confession should for the- present, at all events, be withheld from publication; but from what would appear to have been a breach of faith on the part of a section of the press, that understanding has been violated, and it is. therefore considered that there is no longer any necessity to withhold further information to the plain facts of the case. Wiberg's confession, which may be, taken for what it is .worth,, distinctly points to the chief officer (Elliston) .as being the principal perpetrator of the robbery, and moreover, that he had suggested the robbery to Wiberg, the carpenter, on the voyage of the Avoca from Sydney to Melbourne. Elliston, whose cabin was in close proximity to the bullion-room, had ■charge of the keys by which access could be obtained to the treasure, and having secretly apprised Wiberg of his intentions, EJiston fixed upon a rough and stormy night for the purpose of effecting the robbery. The working of the machinery was making a loud noise, and the passengers had turned in for the night. Taking with them a dark lantern, Elliston and the carpenter went down the hatchway to the bullion-room, and having entered with as little noise as possible, one of the. six .boxes containing the treasure was selected by Elliston.. The outer case having been ingeniously opened, and the seals around r the inner box broken, Elliston handed the contents of the box, consisting of five canvas bags, containing- altogether SCOO sovereigns, to Wiberg, who placed them in the chief officer's cabin. The outer box was effectually closed again so as to avoid detection, and. the door, of the bullion room having been carefully locked again, the ch:ef officer regained his cabin. No person on board observed the.occurrence, and the transaction was completed without causing the slightest suspicion. By a previous arrangement Wiberg went into -Klliston'r cabin the. following evening, and the door having been closed, the chief officer handed Wiberg ..one of the bags, containing about 2CO sovereigns, as ' his share of the proceeds of the robbery. As Wiberg's confession implicated the chief officer, it was considered absolutely necessary to keep the matter quiet, as Elliston's wife and another relative who is conversant with the affair, were still in the colony, and it would only be reasonable to suppose that Elliston would probably be warned by cable of the confession made by Wiberg, in time to enable him to effect his escape. It is; however, believed that the ends of justice will .not be defeated by the undue publication of the facts of the case, since the officers of Scotlandyard will doubtless have been apprised of the facts ere this. —Australasian. .