THEFT OF STAMPS.
DISPLAY CASE RIFLED.
VALUABLE COLLECTION
ROBBED.
APPEAL FOB RETURN.
Eleven valuable etn.mps were stolen one evening last week from the exhibition of Air Mail stamps at Hay's, Limited, Christchureh. Part of the collections of Messrs H. D. London (Christchureh) and A. F. M. Patterson (Timaru), they belonged to an exhibition which aroused interest at tho Melbourne Centenary mid in various cities of New Zealand whore they have been shown.
The theft was carried out during the late shopping session. The stamps, which are attractively mounted, were displayed in a special room, under glass covers which were battened down. Apparently when the room -was iin* attended for a short period, the thief sei/.ed Iris opportunity, lifted one of tho battens and shifted the glass along sufficiently for him to get at a number of stamps that had attracted his attention. ' Among them were several of the most valuable in the collection. In taking them, the thief apparently cut his finger on the glass, fnr a bloody fingerprint is shown on one of the mounts.
Historical Interest. The stamps taken wero of extremely interesting history, and they rob tho collection of a good deal of its attraction. Mr. London is particularly disturbed by the theft of one exhibit, a stamp lout to him by Mr. Patterson, of Timaru, to complete the collection. It was the partly burnt cover and stamp of ,a letter that had been parried in a tragic American air mail flight in 1928, when the pilot crashed at Huron. Tho letter, one of the few saved from the burning 'plane, eventually reached its destination in New Zealand*
The other stamps had especial historical interest. Ono was from an air mail carried out of the benieged city of Przemysl, in Russia, in 1915, while another has even deeper interest in that it was carried out of Paris by balloon during the siege of 1870-71. A Graf Zeppelin cover from the "Century of Progress" Sight In November, 1033; an autogiro air mail cover of 1934; a stamp commemorating the Piccard ascent into the stratosphcro in November, 1032; a cover from a letter carried by the ill-fated "Pontjamer" in tho record flight from Amsterdam to Batavia, in December, ' 1933; another commemorating the Lindberg solo crossing of tho Atlantic in 1027—a1l these were interesting specimens.
The connection of nnother of the covers with the 1024 Mt. Everest expedition has special interest. It was not an air mail stamp, but was one carried by a native runner from tho base camp at Rongbuk Glacier in Tibet to India. Two others have attraction tlrou«h tlioir connection with Sir Cliai'lex KingHford Smith. One was on the London-Sydney flight undertaken by the City of Cairo in 1031. That 'piano crashed at Timor, but the mail was picked lip by Smithy in the Southern Cross and carried to Darwin.
The second had its origin in Invereargill, from which place it was carried by Squadron-Leader M. 0. McGregor to Wellington and Auckland for inclusion ■n the R'-liiey-Tondon Christmas air mail of 1031. The 'plane on this flight. the Southern Sun (piloted by Mr, G, U. Allan), crashed, and again the mail was picked up by Smithy in the Southern Star and carried to Croydon.
In commenting on the theft, Mr. J, L. Hay remarked that he was particular]} upset in that the collection had been lent by a friend of his, Mr. 11. 1), London, who, in turn, borrowed for the purpose of the exhibition a rare air mail cover owned by Mr. A. F. M. Patterson, of Timaru.
"If It could be replaced," said Mr. Hay, "it would not be so bad, but that is not possible. In the circumstances I venture to hnpo that the person who took the stamps, will do the honourable and sporting thing and return them. "The t tf could be of no use to anyone except 'the rightful owner, as the stamp dealers and philatelic societies throughout the world are certain to hear of the theft, and, of conree, will not purchase them."
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 130, 4 June 1935, Page 8
Word Count
674THEFT OF STAMPS. Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 130, 4 June 1935, Page 8
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