DOG'S FIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 140, 15 June 1932, Page 8

DOG'S FIND.

HANDBAG IN CREEK.

STOLEN MONEY RECOVERED

SEQUEL TO WEEK-ENI> THEFTS.

THIEF'S APPARENT HASTE.

A wire-haired terrier pup, six months old, chasing a ball in a creek in the Domain on Monday afternoon, made the extraordinary discovery of a woman's handbag in six inches of water. In the bag were two bank books, with credit balances totalling over £600, and £3 in money. The handbag was one which had been stolen from a Symonds Street apartment house in the early hours of Saturday morning. A lad named Land Vantelle, aged 16, who lives with his sister, Miss Laura Vantelle, at 18, Bradford Street, Parnell, was taking his two terriers for a run through the Domain. Near the Stanley Street entrance to the Domain a creek meanders on its way, and it was while the dogs were chasing a ball near the creek that the puppy discovered the submerged bag.

Miss Vantclle has been in the habit of giving the dogs sweets out of her handbag, and it is believed that the puppy, whose name is Guy, was attracted by the smell of seent and powder in the handbag which he found. After much sniffing and barking, the dog eventually dragged the handbag from the creek and ran triumphantly to his master.

When he opened the hag the young man was surprised to find that it contained three single pound notes, a bank book showing a credit of about £500, another with a credit of well over £100, a wallet in which was £3, a motor driver's license, bunches of keys, private papers and receipts. He made a note of the contents and handed the bag to the Parnell police. Sequel to House Thefts. The dog's find is the sequel to three house thefts which were committed early last Saturday morning. The handban- which the dog discovered belonged to "the occupant of an apartment house in Lower Symonds Street, where two rooms 'had been entered and goods stolen. The same night a private hotel in Lower Symonds Street was entered; the thief was chased, but escaped. Shortly afterwards the occupants of a. house in Domain Drive were disturbed by a thief. The police theory at the time was that the same man had entered the three establishments. The owner of the bag said this moraine that when it was stolen it contained five £1 notes. Two notes were in one compartment and three were contained in a wallet in another part of the bag. She believed that the thief must have been in a frantic hurry to overlook the wallet. She said it was likely that the thief realised that the bag, with its two bank-books and private papers, was dangerous to carry, and so disposed of it as quickly as possible. The young man who took the handbag to the Parnell police is unemployed. To-day the owner of the handbag posted him I*o/ in appreciation of his action. "Guy," the wire-haired terrier pup, may share in the reward by being given a few more of his favourite sweets.