£70,000 JEWELLERY ROBBERY

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1935, Page 3

£70,000 JEWELLERY ROBBERY

ATTACKED WHILE DRESSING

MIAMI BEACH (Florida), Jan. 27

Two masked burglars entered tho fashionable Biltmore Hotel here last night, and, producing revolvers, robbed Mrs. Margaret Bell of jewellory valued at £70,000. The winter season being now in full swing here, the hotel was filled to capacity, but the bandits were able to get clear away before the alarm was given. Mrs. Bell—one of several guests in tho party of Mr. Harry Content, a well-known Wall Street broker—was dressing before going out to a night club ivhen the burglars entered. Against tile urgent advice of her friends, she had insisted, earlier in the day, on wearing all her jewellery at the racetrack, where, undoubtedly, her display attracted the notice of the thieves. As she stood pul ting on the gems before a mirror in her room in the evening she saw over her shoulder

two youthful-looking men, each with I a handkerchief tied over the lower part of his face, enter the room. I Brandishing revolvers, they ordered her to take off her four ropes of pearls, ’ two diamond rings, a diamond brace-L let. and her wrist-watch. She thought I they were practical jokers, but was’ soon disillusioned as they started to bind her, hand and foot. At this moment Mr. Harry Content walked in and was immediately trus-J sod up in the same way and made to

lira face down on the floor. Mrs. Bell's maid, who next looked Into the room, saw what was happening aiid ran into a bath room. Locking the door behind her, she screamed and hammered until another member of the party in the next room, realising that something was wrong, telephoned the hotel officials downstairs. He was too late, however., and when a horde of servants rushed into the suite they found the thieves had vanished, leaving no trace.