JEWEL THIEVES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 May 1939, Page 5

JEWEL THIEVES.

ALARMING SERIES OF AUDACIOUS ROBBERIES DURING BUSINESS HOURS (By Telegraph—Press .association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. Diamond rings of a retail value of nearly £4OO have been stolen in an audacious manner from two city shops in Auckland in the past few weeks. In each case the rings were pocketed by a "customer" while an assistant's back was momentarily turned. The thieves are believed to be the same persons who have been operating with success in Wellington recently in a similar manner. Several hundred pounds' worth of jewellery has been stolen from shops there. It is reported that the thieves demonstrated their skill and daring in one case in substituting "paste" s.tones for diamonds which they handled on top of the counter.

The first indication the police had that there were jewel thieves in'Auckland was about six weeks ago, when nine diamond rings valued at £175 were stolen from a large city store. It was a busy Friday night and while the assistants were serving customers a thief removed the diamonds, which were mounted on a pad, from a cabinet, and slipped out of the store. Two well-dressed men on another Friday night about a fortnight ago walked into the shop, but the jeweller considers that he was fortunate in not losing more than a clock valued at £(5 10s. While he was showing one of the men some rings the jeweller saw the other man walk out of the shop with a fairly large chiming clock under his coat. • The jeweller said he did not give chase because he had become suspicious of the man he was serving. This man persisted in having a size taken. It occurred to the jeweller that the man thought he would probably have to. leave the shop to get a ring tester. Upon seeing the other man make his departure with the clock, the jeweller asked: "What has your friend got under his coat?"

Without even turning round, he had replied, "What did he take? He is not my friend."

Two customers then entered the shop and the man left, saying that he would come back the following Monday.

The latest theft occurred a week ago, when 17 diamond rings valued at £2OO disappeared from a Queen Street jewellers' shop. It was a slack day for business and the manager was re-dressing the windows. Two men came into the shop shortly after four o'clock in the afternoon and one asked to be shown some women's dressing sets. He did not make a purchase, but after the two men had gone the manager found that a pad of diamond rings which were on a display counter beside which the other person had been standing had disappeared: "■'-'-"