EMDEN'S BELL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 1, 2 January 1934, Page 7

EMDEN'S BELL.

MYSTERY SOLVED. NEWSPAPER "SCOOP." ' q Stolen Trophy Found in Park Near Melbourne. FALSE SCENTS AROUND WORLD United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copy right) (Received 12.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The "Sydney Morning Herald" announces that the bell of the Warship Emden, which was reported to have been smuggled on to the steamer Mariposa and subsequently sold in America, was found oh Friday morning last ih park lands, on the outskirts of Melbourne by members of the "Sydney Morning Herald" staff, who had • been specially deputed to make search.

Recently information was given to the "Herald" regarding the alleged whereabouts of the bell, and after consultation with the authorities, it was decided to test its accuracy. The "Herald" party left Sydney by motor car on Boxing Day, arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday and .recovered the bell shortly before dawn on Friday. The party reached Sydney on the return journey last night with the bell in safe custody. The "Herald" reviews the whole history of the bell, and shows how detectives followed many false clues which were given to them, extensive searches having been made in Tokyo, Noumea, Canton, Durban, Capetown, Java, Genoa, Suva, Vancouver, Rabaul, Hongkong, Singapore, Shanghai, New York and Amsterdam. Practically every port visited by ships from Sydney was a centre of active inquiry at one time or another.

A message from Sydney on December 7 last stated that a German youth, Kuomel, had been convicted . f having stolen the bell of the German warship Lmden (sunk oft' Cocoe Island by the Australian cruiser Sydney) from Garden Island, and also of having taken it from the Australian War Museum, Sydney. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour, with £18 18/ costs. An earlier message from Sydney (on November 18) stated tkpt an arrest had been made, and that tlie police had learnt that the bell had been smuggled on to the Mariposa and sold to a German syndicate in the United States for 20,000 dollars. It was also stated that the police had learnt that the bell had been buried in the sand at Maroubra Beach for weelc arte'- it had been removed from the War Museum.