AMAZING LUCK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 147, 7 June 1932, Page 9

AMAZING LUCK

LOST WALLET RECOVERED CONTAINED £620. ONLY £2O MISSING. Auckland, June 6. By a piece ot amazing good luck a man who lost a wallet containing £620 m the Ellerslie district during the week-end, had it returned to him this morning with only £2O missing. It is believed the wallet was stolen from the owner, Mr J. W. Ashton, a visitor from tho King Country, and that it was dropped or discarded by tho thief when it was found. Four £5 notes were missing, but it still contained twelve £5O notes. Mr Ashton, who has been staying with friends at Ellerslie, reported his loss to the police on Sunday evening. He was sitting m a room with his friends when he suddenly sprang to his feet exclaiming that he had been robbed. The police were called in, and investigations were made until early this morning. It was thought tho money was lost or stolen on Saturday evening, which was the last previous occasion that Mr Ashton handled the wallet. He told the police he had drawn nearly £lOOO from the bank at Easter and had carried it with him. He had almost £6OO on him when he arrived in Auckland, and had won further money at the races. He said ho usually carried the wallet in an inside pocket and seldom touched it. The wallet with its contents of £6OO was found by two youths, N. Voitre and F McGovern, early this morning, Hi Ellerslie, only a quarter of a mile from where Mr Ashton was staying. Tho youths, who are employed in the racing stables of Mr A. E. Neale, of Bulls, were walking along tho outside of the course grounds, and they saw tli© wallet lying in the middle of the footpath. It is believed tho thief may have purposely discarded tho wallet knowing that £5O notes are difficult to change, and that in all probability tho numbers had been noted by the owner.