ROBBERY FRUSTRATED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 4 January 1926, Page 2

ROBBERY FRUSTRATED.

DARING ITALIAN THIEVES. TIMELY ALARM GIVEN. A daring attempt to roib' six trusted bank messengers who were carrying 20,000,000 lire from the Rank of Italy to Milan on the Rome-Bologna night train, an attempt which partly suceeedecl, has caused a great sensation, writes the Rome cor re sou dent of a London paper. Suiprise was further increased by the fact that four elegant thieves were arrested whose names aie Uonitedini, Giardina, Blartoli, and Balkan, who are wel'l-known m Roman night restaurants and dancing halls. The men claimed to belong to the best (society, drove about in fine motorcars, and were seen constantly on the racecourses and in gambling clubs. One of them, Oontedini, had acquired celebrity by being awarded the title of 1/1 King of-the Tango,” was always impeccably dressed, and drove about in a handsome white motor-car. By cleverly dividing his name he masqueraded as Conte Dini. Giardina, by changing the last letter of the distinguished Governor qf Fiume, General Giardino, and his (associate, Bartoli, claimed to ba a relative of General Bartoli.

How they had cognisance of the huge .sum about to he sent to- Milan is unexplained, and the hank authorities are> making inquiries. The bank officials were informed of it only one hour before they lfad to leave on the train for their destination. The bank messengers each carried a leather valise containing banknotes amounting to .several millions, -and occupied an entire coimjpartment. iCfontediini, Giardina, Bartoli and Balzan followed them, and succeeded in occupying the compartment adjoining. When the. train had passed Florence they began work by boring a hole and sawing a large opening in the wooden partition just behind one of the bags. They cut a large opening in one hag, and extracted several hundred thousand lire worth of banknotes, which they divided .'between them.

This process was going on when one of the messengers opened his eyes toward four o’clock in the morning, and saw that the 'bags on the rac-k were mysteriously moving. The train was then near Toretta, and passing through a series of tunnels near the. summit of the Ap.penines on the way to Bologna. He immediately rushed to give an alarm, and one of the first persons he ■met was Captain Prince Fordimand lllospigliosi in uniform. The thieves escaped through the corridor, and one climbed out and clung for a distance to the footboard. The conductor called the Fascist (militia, guard, and it was decided to let the train continue lat full speed to Bologna. But at a certain station signals compelled it to stop, and four persons were seen hurriedly trying to leave the train. They were the foifr thieves, who were instantly arrested, and each was found with his pockets bulging with banknotes.