ROBBERY FRUSTRATED

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 4

ROBBERY FRUSTRATED

DARING ITALIAN THIEVES. ’ TIMELY ALARM GIVEN. A daring attempt to rob six trusted bank messengers who were carrying 20,000,000 lire from the Bank of Italy to Milan on the Romo-Bologna night train, an attempt which partly succeeded, has caused a great sensation, writes the Rome correspondent of a London paper. Surprise was further increased by the fact that four elegant thieves were arrested whose names are Contedini, Giardina, Bartoli, and Balzan, who are well-known in Roman night restaurants and dancing halls. The men claimed to belong to the best society, drove about in line motor cars, and were seen constantly on the racecourses and in gambling clubs. One of them, Contedini, had' acquired celebrity by being awarded the title of “King of the Tango,” was always impeccably dressed, and drove about in a. handsome white motor car. By cleverly dividing his namo ho masqueraded as Conte Dini. Giardina, by changing the last letter of his name, claimed to be a nephew of the distinguished Governor of Fiume, General Giardino, and his associate, Bartoli, claimed to be a relative of General Bartoli. How they had cognisance of.the huge sum about to be sent to Milan is unexplained, and the bank authorities are making inquiries. The bank officials were informed of it only one hour before they had 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 compartment. Contedini, 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 tho wooden partition just behind one of the bags. They cut a large opening in one bag, 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, arid saw that the bags on the rack were mysteriously" moving. The train was just then near Poretta, and passing through a series of tunnels near the summit of tho A-ppenines on tho way to Bologna. He immediately rushed out to give an alarm, and one of the first persons he met was Captain Prince ’ Ferdinand ltospigliosi 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 decKTed to let the train continue at 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 wore the four thieves, who wero instantly arrested, and each was found with his pockets bulging with banknotes.