EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7382, 7 August 1889, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY.

MELBOURNE, July 23. A parcel of 5000 sovereigns was stolen some time between March and May last from the Orient steam it Iberia. The specie was shipped in the Iberia at Sydney by the Union Bank. It was placed in five canvas bags, each containing 1000 sovereigns; the bags were put in a wooden box, and this was deposited in the strong room of the vessel. The Iberia left this port for London on March 29th, and when she reached her destination on May 13th it was found that the box of gold was missing. Since then no trace of it was discovered till, it i<3 believed, on Saturday last, when the treasure was found under the pier at Williamstown. When the robbery from the Iberia was discovered Mr Shannon, the commander of the vessel, Mr Cooke, the purser, and the second officer were called upon to resign their positions in the ship. The discovery was made by two boys named George Gordon aad Jame3 Sweetenham aged respectively fourteen and fifteen years, ana cook place about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, but it was kept a close secret so far as the police and the general public were concerned, until early on Sunday morning. About two o'clock on Saturday afternoon the two boys left home together to spend the afternoon on a holiday. They made their way to the Railway pier without any fixed determination as to where they should go, and as they walked past the platform of the Pier Railway Station they saw a mouse come out from a hiding place, and dart under the platform. Thinking a hunt would afford some sport they went after it, and saw it disappear in a hole in the earth under the northern end of the platform, exactly behind a large outhouse constructed of corrugated iron. They noticed the mouse ran "into a hole close to one of the centre uprights supporting the floor of the platform. Falling on all fours they went underneath, but could not see the mouse. After peering into the hole Gordon then took a stick, and inserting it as far as it would reach, commenced to wriggle it about. The action produced a chinking sound, which was so unexpected and so aroused the curiosity of both lads that they investigated further. On their scratching away the earth there was suddenly displayed to their gaze a mass of sovereigns. They proceeded to gather up the coin, putting ifc as quickly as possible into their pockets. While they were thus engaged a man passing by stooped down and looked at what they were doing, doubtless thinking that the boys were up to some mischief. On seeing him Gordon says that they desisted, and he lay down over the sovereigns, concealing them wiLh his body, while Sweetenhaui remained sitting near him. The man in a few minutes went away, believing that nothing wrong was in progress, whereupon the boys resumed the task of raking out the coin. Having at last pretty well filled their pockets, they desisted, and, covering up the hole they had made, went home. Reaching there Gordon counted his, and found that he had 118 sovereigns in his possession, his companion's share amounting to 126. Gordon s father when he came home hetrd of the find, and next morning informed the police. A search was made, which occupied the whole of Sunday, and the total number of sovereigns found was 3742. The money had been buried in foar separate lots, each lot being hidden in a canvas bag, upon one of which was stamped the words " Royal Mint, Sydney." A bag had been deposited close beside each of four piles. As soon as the nesvs of the find spread a crowd of persons gathered, numbering at times several hundreds, who were with difficulty kept ba(-k. All day on Monday, also, many people hung about the place, apparently hungering after a find, but the police kept strict watch. Naturally the finding of the plant has revived the possibility of discovering the robbers, but nothing has yet been elicited which would afford a clue. No doubt the sovereigns are a portion of those stolen from the Iberia, though there may be some difficulty in proving it.