Mayfair Theft Racket

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

Mayfair Theft Racket

WHILE expensively - gowned' women and their partners swayed to the music of famous bands in the West End mansions of the nobility this "season," some of the guests have been busy stealing jewels, furs and valuable trinkets left unattended by the dancers. The season of "debutante balls" has brought a crop of thefts in this newest of Mayfair rackets. Many society hostesses have been afraid to call in the police to find the thieves for fear of unwelcome publicity. In every case the thieves acted with great audacity, and it was apparent that they must have been among the guests. Here is a typical story told by Miss Pamela Hunter, of Kingston, Surrey, beautiful 21-year-old debutante.

"A few weeks ago I went- to a big debutante ball," aiie said. "While I was

talking to a friend I put my hag on a nearby t«ble. Five minutes later when I turned round to pick it up I found to "my amazement that it had disappeared. "It contained a gold cigarette case worth about £50, with diamond initiaus, and some money. The next morning I got my bag l>:>ek. It hed been discovered in a corner—minus its contents —after everyone had gone." Princess Paul Troubetzkoy, society woman authoress, who has just completed a play dealing with Mayfair life, said: "Jewel thieving is about the easiest and least worthy way of making easy money. I have often been to parties where some trinkets or furs have mysteriously vanished, and it is more than likely that the culprits are young men who are known to the host and hostess and who have gate-crashed the party. "These young playboys find when they leave their universities that they can't get work which will give them large salaries, so they turn to trading on their names and acquaintances."