DARING THEFT

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 258, 28 July 1934, Page 18

DARING THEFT

Escape in Motor-Car

A thief, snatched, three trays of diamond rings, valued at about £lOOO, from the' counter of a Melbourne jeweller’s ;shbp recently and escaped in a motor-car. Mr. L. C. McMaster, manager'of the shop, fired four shots; after th<e car, which contained two men besides the thief, as it sped through the busy shopping centre at ,50 miles an hour. r • , ■■ ■■. A neatly-attired man asked Mr. McMaster to show him some diamond rings. Mr. McMaster produced three trays, mainly' of cluster type ring*. The man, examined these and then asked to be shown another tray froip the window. As,Mr. McMaster turned -.toward-a woman shop assistant., to ask her to get the tray from the window, "the thief picked up the three trays and ran out of the shop. ; S 1 ■ •r Mr.- McMaster, who is a partial cripple.' took; from ■ his: pocket' an automatic pistol and hastened . after the tliief. He saw the man leap into a car which had been waiting. Accelerated furiously, the car swung wildly along the street, narrowly missing a number of parked cars. After firing four shots after the car Mr. McMaster returned to his shop and telephoned police headquarters. The police patrol arrived a few minute--later and gave chase, but without success. A bystander picked up two rings dropped by the thief in his flight and returned them to Mr, McMaster. A green sedan was found with the engine running and one tyre punctured In North Melbourne later in the day. The police believe it was used by the thief. It had been stolen.