WERNHER JEWELS

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 2562, 20 December 1924, Page 9

WERNHER JEWELS

Romantic Crime Story

BIG BURGLARY COMMISSION

[By Electric Cable —Copyright.] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] LONDON, December 18.

The mystery of the loss and subsequent return of the Wernher jewellery deepens. Scotland Yard now admits that the property is in safe keeping, and is not damaged, but maintains strict secrecy in reference to the method of its recovery.

It is known, however, that the officers in charge of the investigations obtained remarkable information a few weeks after the theft, of "Which only a few officers were made aware, while the others continued their investigations. The “Evening Standard” declares that the first deveolpment leading to the return of the property was the receipt of a telephone inquiry as to whether the reward of £SOOO offered for the return of the jewellery could possibly be increased to £IO,OOO. Scotland Yard was immediately informed of the inquiry, but continues to draw a veil over the next steps, only admitting that eventually the stolen treasures wore regained intact. No attempt had been made to remove a single diamond, emerald, or ruljy from the priceless figures which were studded with the stones. Crime Reconstructed.

The “Central News” gives the following explanation of the theft, and return of the jewellery, describing the story as the most romantic in the history of modern crime. A wealthy American jewellery collector arrived in England in April ( and inspected every collection in England and Scotland. He was allowed to visit tho Wernher collection at Bath House, at least a dozen times, and apparently became imbued with covetousness.

Realising the hopelessness of inducing Lady Ludlow to sell, the collector returned to America and hired three skilled New York burglars to come and steal the collection. The three arrived in London on June 5, ajid wore allowed to Inspect the collection as connoisseurs; and thus they gained valuable knowledge of the approaches to Bath House. It is now known that when the three stole the jewellery on June 11, they spent at least an hour in the house, and removed the property inside a cushion.

The thieves then took the jewels to France in a private yacht, reached New York from Cherbourg, and placed the property In a New York safe deposit.

Before they could complete their contract by delivery to tho employer, tho latter died —on the day they arrived in New York—and owing to the difficulties of idsposing of treasures, the collection became valueless to the cracksmen. Ultimately, through lawyers in New York and London, they obtained £SOOO reward for the safe return of the articles. It is believed that the three burglars received £9OOO in advance from the eccentric collector, and were to have received £50,000 when the collection was delivered.