BOLD THEFT IN CITY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 170, 18 April 1928, Page 12

BOLD THEFT IN CITY

VALUABLE RING STOLEN FROM SHOP ALLEGED THIEF ARRESTED IN HOTEL Walking into the shop of Messrs. Partridge and Jenness, jewellers, Cuba Street, yesterday afternoon, and representing himself to be a wellknown racehorse owner, a welldressed young man asked to see a diamond ring (valued at £750) which was being display, ed in the window. When the ring was handed to him he moved towards the door, apparently to view it in a better light—and then without any warning he bolted.

Mr. F. Jenness, who" attended to the young man, ran round the counter (which is a fairly long one) and out to the door, where he was informed that a man who had just left the shop had gone next- door into the Alhambra Hotel. A search of the hotel failed to reveal any trace of the missing man. Mr. Jenness then sought the aid of detectives. In company with Detective- Jarrold he started to search for the man, and after visiting the bars of several hotels they located him displaying the ring in the bar of the Grand Hotel. Seeing tbpi i-e was being watched, he immediately put the ring away. Speaking to a Dominion representative yesterday, Mr. Jenness stated that although he was most upset through the loss of the ring, he could not help seeing the humorous side of the affair, for when the man was accosted by Detective Jarrold he promptly fainted—ot pretended to faint—thus giving the detective an excellent opportunity of searching him for the ring, which was soon recovered. Mr. Jenness said that this was not the first experience of this kind that had befallen him, and lie felt that great praise was due to Detective Jarrold for his prompt and efficient work. The alleged thief was arrested and will be brought before the Magistrate’s Court this morning.