AN IMPUDENT ROBBERY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 127, 14 May 1912, Page 5

AN IMPUDENT ROBBERY.

JEWELLER’S ASSISTANT CLEVERRLY TRICKED. [per press ASSOCIATION.] Auckland, May 13. A most . audacious robbery was brought off this afternoon bj r means of a trick which was played upon an unsuspecting jeweller’s assistant. The perpetrator of the fraud netted four rings, worth in ail nearly £5O. Yesterday the manager of Mr. James Pascoe’s jewellery establishment answered a call to the telephone. Speaking in a nicely modulated tone, the caller on the phone said, “This is Mr. Nathan speaking, and as I want to make a present to a young lady who has been kind to me I shall be glad if you • wil send some diamond rings round to my residence in Karanga-! hape road for me to select from. Mr. i Pa'scoe took four likely rings out of i the stock and entrusted them to I Wright, employed on the premises, ! to take along to Mr. David Nathan’s | house. On arrival at the gate of! “St Kevens’’ .Wright met a man carrying an overtoat over his arm. The stranger said, “You are from Pascoe’s and you have a small parcel for me. I am Mr. Nathan.” Satisfied from his manner as to the man’s bona-fides Wright had no hesitation in handing over the parcel of rings with which he had been sent. The stranger, upon receiving them, said, “That will be all right. I will chose one and send the others back.” The messenger returned to the shop, leaving the stranger and incidentally the diamond rings at the gate of Mr. David Nathan’s residence. When Wright reached the shop and it was ascertained from his what had occurred suspicions were aroused, and Mr. David Nathan was immediately rung up and denied all knowledge of the telephone message which had resulted in the handing over of the rings. It was then clear that, the whole thing was a clever ruse to fraudulently obtain possession of as many rings as the jeweller might feel disposed to send.