Police Hunt For Clothing, Jewels Taken From Trunks

Northern Advocate, 23 January 1947, Page 3

Police Hunt For Clothing, Jewels Taken From Trunks

New Zealand and Canadian detectives are searching for thieves who stole clothing and jewellery from the luggage of an Auckland woman and her daughter. The oroperty is valued at about £I6OO. ' The victims of the theft are Mrs Louise Lloyd-Jones, of 2 O'Neill's Avenue, Takapuna. and her daughter Mary, now Mrs James Grant, of Norfolk Virginia. Mrs Lloyd-Jones and her daughter recently travelled to the United States where her daughter is married to a lieutenant in the American Navy. COAT AND CAPE The property, which was packed in two heavy wardrobe trunks, and a large hat-box reinforced with steel, included a mink fur coat valued at £IOOO belonging to Mrs Grant and a white Russian ermine cape worth £SOO belonging to her mother. ( Other articles stolen from Mrs Lloyd-Jones included a jade necklace with a cluster of diamonds on the clasp worth about £6O, a lalique necklace worth about £lO, a white silk evening gown worth about £25, a French-made black antelope evening bag worth £ls and a Spanish fan also worth £ls.

(Special) AUCKLAND, This Day.

Mrs Lloyd-Jones and her daughter consigned their luggage to San Francisco on the ship Flyaway, which sailed from Auckland on August 3. On September 18 they flew to the United States in the clipper Cathay, hoping their belongings would bo waiting for them on their arrival. Owing to the maritime strike in the United States, the Flyaway was diverted to Victoria, British Columbia.' DECLARED “BLACK” As the luggage was declared “black,’' it could not be brought into the United Slates and arrangements were made through the shipping agents for it to be stored. When Mrs Lloyd-Jones was about to retrun home after spending several weeks in America, she telephoned from Seattle and gave instructions for her luggage to be sent back to New Zealand on the Wanganella and for her daughter’s to be forwarded to Virginia. Her luggage arrived at Auckland just before Christmas and remained on the wharves until it was delivered to her home on January 10. Mrs Lloyd-Jones said last night that she was amazed at the battered appearance of her trunk. A crowbar had apparently been used to force it open and the lock was jammed. The thieves had apparently been experts who fully appreciated the value of clothing and jewellery. Little of it had been insured and she and her daughter would be down several thousands of pounds.