£l0,000 ROBBERY

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1931, Page 4

£l0,000 ROBBERY

FROM MAIL BAG Canberra Officials’ Screws (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY, May 1. A bag included in the mail arriving at Canberra early this morning, was found rifled. Instead of £lO.OOO in fivers and single notes, intended as payment of civil servants’ salaries, the bag contained only stones and a telephone directory. Iho police express the opinion that the robbery occurred in the train. Very Clever Theft POLICE MYSTIFIED (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY, May 1. The postal officials and detective® are convinced that the majlbag robbery was carried out by someone conversant with postal proceduife, aided by an accomplice. The mailbag, which contained £lO,OOO, wa s register ed by the Commonwealth Bank and was conveyed to the station by an armed guard. It was then transferred io a steel cubicle |n the van. This i ; .s a. customary weekly practice. The guards changed shifts at Gouli burjn, half way to Canberra, and when the train reached the Federal Capital, it was found that the maitoag”with, the l ank note s h ;i d been substituted by one containing stone and paper. The police do not rule cut the theory that the mailbag was substituted before the train left Sydney last i night. ; The Commonwealth Bank is indemjnified against any loss’ It has the Records! and numbers of all of the stolen banknotes, which have been. J published in the press. The public i servants’ salaries will be paid at Canberra by cheque, instead of in bank- . nctes. WHAT THE THIEVES KNEW. (Reel. Mav 1 at 7-15 p.m.) CANBERRA, May 1. ■ The officials are reticent regarding i the mail robbery, but they admit that . those concerned in it wree evidently fully acquainted with the method of , transferring from Sydney to Canberra.