£20,000 JEWEL ROBBERY

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1937, Page 10

£20,000 JEWEL ROBBERY

PARK LANE FLAT DRAMA

LONDON, November 10.

Three masked and armed men carried out a daring' daylight robbery yesterday at Aidford House, a new block of flats in Park Lane. They threatened, the occupier of a flat there, Mrs. Ella Hesketh-Wright, a wealthy woman of. 48, and her maidservant with revolvers. They bound both women and made off with about £20,000 worth of cash and jewellery which they took from a safe in the flat.

The thieves showed that they had an' intimate knowledge of the interior of the block of flats.

Apparently they made their entry through a service entrance in Park Street at the back of the block, and thus gained access to a stairway leading from an alcove in the main hall on the first floor. Several porters were on duty in the hall at the time, but by entering the alcove through a door leading from the service entrance, the thieves were able to reach the stairs without being visible from the hall.

They made their way up eight flights of stairs to Mrs. HeskethWright’s flat—No. 13 —on the top floor. They rang the bell at the front door of the flat, which was opened by Mrs. Goodwin, Mrs. Hesketh-Wright’s maid, who was confronted by three men with handkerchiefs tied around the lower part of their faces. Each held a revolver in his hand.

The men pushed Mrs. Goodwin backwards into a sitting-room of the flat, ordering her not to make any noise. They tore up a sheet and, pushing her into a chair, bound her arms and feet.

Mrs. Hesketh-Wright said last night that she was asleep in her bedroom when the men forced their way into the flat, and bound her maid. “My bedroom door was locked,” she said. “The men apparently forced the door with some implement, for I was awakened by the sound of a crash. I sat up in alarm and saw three men, each carrying a revolver, rush into the room.

“One of them said to me, ‘Oh! the building is on fire.’ “TOOK THE LOT.” “I was terrified. I jumped out of bed and rushed towards the door. The men said they would not hurt me if I told them where I kept my jewellery. They demanded the keys, and forced me to open the safe. They then took out all my jewellery and money. There was about £lOO in cash, and jewellery to the total value of about £20,000. They took the lot. My jewellery was of all types —rings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches, and the stones included rubies, pearls, diamonds and sapphires. Before the men left, they brought my maid into my bedroom and placed her on my bed. I was then resting on the bed. and they tied me tip, too. They tied my wrists and ankles, but not tightly. As they were leaving by the front door, one of the' men said to me: ‘We are leaving a.

mail outside the door, and if you try to make a noise be will shoot, you.’ I ■was so terrified that I was unable to make a move for about a. quarter of an hour. I then got my hands free and released my maid. Next I grabbed the telephone and dialled ‘999,’ and was put through to the police. Later I telephoned a porter, and he came to our assistance. It was a very distressing experience.'’

Mrs. Goodwin said: “I heard a ring and. answering the door, saw three men. one being in a chauffeur's uniform. As soon as I said. ‘What do you want?’ they produced revolvers and pushed me into the room. I tried to

* knock one revolver away, but without success. The men bound and gagged me, put me in the drawing room,, and broke down the door to Mrs. HeskethWriglit’s room. They put me in the bedroom with Mrs. Hesket-Wright while they opened the safe and took out the jewellery. They said they would fire if we did not keep quiet.” A reward of £2.000 is offered for information leading to the recovery of the jewellery by Summers, Henderson and Co., assessors, acting on behalf' of the insurance company. A member of the firm said that 34 pieces of jewj cilery were missing. They included: — i A three-rope pearl necklace with a dia- ■ mond snap, valued at £4,500; a diajmond buckle bracelet valued at £1.950; I a diamond bracelet -with five large istoues in the centre. £1,600; a. twostone drop diamond ring, consisting of two pear-shape diamonds, £1,500; a I ruby and diamond double-clip brooch. £1,050; a single-stone marquise diamond ring, £l,OOO. Scotland Yard officials. who were quickly on the scene, continued their, 1 investigations throughout yesterday and last night.