AN EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT HOBART.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1337, 27 March 1883, Page 2

AN EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT HOBART.

Shortly after ten o'clock on Friday night, February 23, information'-was given to the police (says the ' Hobart Mercury') that nearly 1300 had, been stolen from a drawer in one of the Mjhs in the General Washington Vjl,' Colling and Murray streets. It appears that between nine and ten o'clock on the night in question two men entered the hotel, One of lliem called forsotnething to (Irinlc, and tendered a £5 note in payment. ; Mr Howard was absent at the racecourse, and Mrs Howard, having,no change in the bar till, went upstairs to get some. Mr and Mrs Howard had not banked any of their takings since the beginning of January, but kept the money in a drawer in a bedroom, and Mr Howard believes tliat there was in this drawer on : Friday night nearly £3OO. How the. thieves became aware of this fact, has not transpired. ]fc seems, however, that they knew something of (he fact, for when. Mrs Howard went upstairs one of the men stopped outside and found' what room she went to, by watching the light in the window. After receiving change, one of the men pretended to be very drunk, and kept Mi's Howard'sassistant busy answering the bell and waiting on him, Thus, having engaged the attention of one of the females, the second mau appears to have watched his opportunity, and when Mrs Howard was busy attending to her customers, slipped upstairs and found that Mrs Howard had not only forgotten to lock the door of the room, but had actually left; the .drawer open, He thereupon took all the money, gold, silver, and notes from the drawer; and having secured his plunder, joined his mate, when both quietly left the hotel, and have not been since heard of. Shortly afterwards Mrs Howard remembering that she had left the drawer and door unlocked, went upstairs to remedy her error and found all the money gone,