MONEY COLLECTED BY WRONG MAN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 16

MONEY COLLECTED BY WRONG MAN

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 16. A man in his early 20's walked into the Royal Oak Hotel this morning, claimed he was from McCready's Ltd., a fabric and furnishings firm, and was handed £5OO in cheques, notes, and silver which had been left in the custody of the hotel during the week-end. “I’ve come for McCready's bag,” he announced and was handed the money by the receptionist. He left the hotel and has not been seen since The man called at the hotel about 8.20 a.m. Twenty-five minutes later McCready's a few doors down from the hotel, telephoned to say it would be sending someone to the hotel to collect the money. The police were called immediately and detectives from the C. 1.8. began a search. No trace has been feund of the thief.

It has been normal practice for the firm to deposit the

money with the hotel after closing time on Friday night and collect it on Monday for banking. The theft was ’.tie second of its type from the hotel in about two years and a half On November 1. 1959, a middle-aged man walked into the hotel said he was from the Kings Theatre, and was handed £l6O 19s lOd The money, as was the case with today's theft, had been left in the safe during the week-end. It represented takings from Saturday night's performance. Just before 930 a.m. the man telephoned the hotel, said it was the theatre calling and a new man would arrive to collect the takings. When the man arrived the receptionist handed him the money and he has not been seen since. The theft was tscovered when the hotel later checked with the theatre and found no one had been authorised to collect the takings. The money was mostly in notes.