BIG THEFTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2053, 9 December 1924, Page 3

BIG THEFTS.

o FROM SAFE AND BANK. MYSTERIOUS CASES Sydney, November 28

Sydney police are puzzled by a theft of £BOO from a safe in the residence of the caretaker at the stables of Grace Brothers, Limited. Although the matter looks a simple one* the police have been unable to effect an arrest, though the theft occurred last Saturday. Grace Brothers, Ltd., is one of the largest retail firms in Sydney, and it is customary for the carters, returning to the stables after a day in the suburbs, to hand over their collections to Mr John Gates, caretaker of the stables. He places the money in a safe in his home, in Avhich the only other residents are his wife, a daughter and two sons.

The story told to the police by Miss Vera Gates, his daughter, is that when she returned to her home on Saturday morning at 1 a.m. she found the safe open and the money gone. The thieves had, however, missed about £SOO which had been placed in another portion of the safe. MONEY IN 20 BAGS. She stated that at night before she ivent out her father gave her the money, Avhich was in notes and cheques, the latter totalling £IOO, and she placed the money in about 20 bags, which she packed in the safe. Then she put the key under her pillow. Her brothers were in the house when she left, but they went out shortly afterwards, leaving her mother in charge of the house and the safe. Mrs'!" Gates heard nothing, yet ivhen the girl returned the safe had been opened with the key from under Miss Gate’s pilloiv, and the money was missing. Soon after the matter ivas reported to the police a man walked into the local police station and handed in the cheques, Avhich he said he found in University Park, about five minutes’ ivalk from the caretaker’s home. Deteettees have been engaged on the case all the week, but without any success, and there is now no chance of the money being recoi'ered.

ANOTHER MYSTERY. The robbery from Grace Brothers’ stables has a counterpart in one which was carried out in the E.S. and A. bank in the city during the week. A young woman employed by a firm of solicitors placed a deposit book containing £920 in notes and cheques on the counter in front of the receiving teller. There were others there at the time, and her book ivas one of many. She went to another part of the bank to transact some other business, and while she ivas away the book and its contents disappeared. A search ivas instituted immediately, without success, and though the police have continued the search they have been unable to find either the bank-book or the cheques, which have not been presented.