DIAMOND ROBBERY IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12609, 25 June 1904, Page 5

DIAMOND ROBBERY IN AUCKLAND.

A JEWEMiBR'S WINDOW ■' SMASHED.

GEM WORTH £275 STOLEN. SENSATION IN QUEEN-STREET. A MOW g*nsatio»;»l rfrbbsry, one of the most daring in tie annul* of the crime of the city, *a* committed in Queen-street last evening. When the Window of Mr. A. Holders jeweller shop was smashed, arid » diamond bracelet priced at £275, was stolen in the presence of sevetid pedestrians. The stone it may be of Interest to state, Wits reputed to be the largest in New Zealand, and there does not appear, in the opinions of those well acquainted with the gem trade of the colony, any reason to dispute its claim on tins account. There it lay in the window for some weeks, and almost every one who has passed by the sl% has turned aside for ah instant to see the glittering carbon m its massive gold Setting. Many ladies, no doubt, have run perilously close id breaking the tenth Commandment, as they looked at the bijou, but—£27s: it Was a long price* A GATING: HOLE. To-day they Will not see the bracelet in Holdfen** window, but instead «jagged bole in th* plate-glaiß, a hole somewhat eggshaped, and measuring, roughly, ißin by 9in. Three cricks radiate front the hole, one going dl to Ithe right to the top cOrnet of the window, aisd two running to the bottom of the window. Inside the Window are small pieces of glass: and a considerable quantity of glass pounded fine as sugar j but the place where the ibi-acelet lay is ertpty, A peart star, valtied at £4 . Ida) is also missing. The i-bbbety Was a bold and daring one, and of a sort with which the Auckland police tire not no familiar as those of Loiidon, Pari*, aM NeW York. TH!* BOBBERY. • The Story is very ebon toirJr;but takes far longer in the telling than the robbery itself occupied. * Mr. Hotden, as'was his usual custom, shut the shop at about twenty minutes to six and crossed over Qu<*n-street to the Diva restaurant for tea, Intending to return'shortly afterwards and finally make' all secure for the night, puttittg up window guards and taking the precautions for securing the property that jewellers %ho know their business usually take. While be was at tea at ten minutes to sit, a boy rushed into the restaurant Mid cried, "Mr. HolfleM's window has been smashed in." Mr. Holden, when he heard of it, regarded the alarm as a hoax, and went on with his tea: A few seconds later Ml, ToWsey, the proprietor of the restaurant, assured Mr. Holdeb that there was no joke in the alarm, but cold truth the Window had been smashed, some jewellery t&ken, and that man was seen to smash the glass, put his hand into the window, grab something, and -bolt through Warren Blyth and Co.'s auction mart. By this time a small crowd was before the window* and Mr; Holden, naturally much disturbed, realised that the Whole business was Something more- than a joke. i

MILLS LANE. : fro Swanaoa-atreetj. 'to, Castem-street.

•fr:,-;r„sfl Irt&ht Lamp Lights. QtJI!EN-S*rEßfeT.

A reference to the aboVe rough plan will explain how cleverly the whole thing was done, and will support the opinio* that the robbery was no mere momentary act, but the coding atom* of a very carefully,, welltnatured' Scheme, the dotted line showing the most probablis course of the thief. The tftbber entered Wftrreh Blyttfß from Mills' Lane, by dropping over a fence into the adjoining premises—and his footsteps have been traced up 1 the slippery bank. He then climbed a fence over into a passage running at the aide of the mart. Here he mounted ft bo*, ilitd forced Open ft fanlight tied With rope, tbus effecting an easy entry to the mart. As he dropped down from the fanlight his feet rested on some bedsteads, and fresh mud was found upon them, From here he went to the side door of the Mart, locked it—the key is kept in the lock— left it open. So far the way of escape through the mart was clear. He mutt next hare gone to the little wicket door in the large? door* of the mart, and prised off the hftap, thus leaving the door openable by a mere push. Titus all was plain sailing, and then, without attracting any notice, he could, if lie wished, step bttt Into Queeri-streel; and survey the situation at his ease, go Wit pull the door to,' look up and down the street, Walk back and forth before the jeweller's window, and pick the right moment for the deed. A SHORT, SHARP CRASH. He may hate new Mr. Holdett safely out of the shop,' may have satisfied himself that he was at tea } anyway, pedestrians in the street at between ft quarter and ten minutes to six heard Boldeh's window smashed, saW a turn bolt from it, and dart through the small door into the auction mart. It was the work oil an instant, but the time taken by the pasisers-by in the recovery from'their lurprisw was ample for the thief to get clean away, and he is still at large. THE WAY OF ESCAPE. Mr. Warren Btyth, Who occupies the auction mart, Wis seen last night, and he tells an interesting story of how the thief obtained a knovrledge of the premises. " Of course," said Mr, Blyth, "the mart is a public mart, and open all day long. Anyone can make a eiiriiil'tali survey of the lay of the land. The Ariel! 1 got through the fanlight— -of that I am certain—and the door leading into the passage is not locked by day. There is a case there, upon which anyone could stand and clamliisr Up to the fanlight. One of my employing,, John Noonan, was in Queen-street about seven o'clock, and seeing a crowd ronsid the jeweller's shop, learned that the thie!: had gone through my premises. He telephoned to me. We were at dinner at the time, and the message was to come at once, as the mart had been opened. When I went doWn I at once ascertained thai) my safe had not been, tampered with, and then had ft look round the place. „ We le*ve at f-re promptly, and the thief undoubtedly knew our movements. He could not. have concealed himself in the mart when, we doii-ed up and if h« catered

it soon after we left ie would have had Marly an.. hour to make provision for escape'." THE POLICE ARRIVE. . Whether the thief got away Into Swan-son-street pi into Custom-street, is not known, of course, but it would have been open to him to have calmly walked from Swunßon-sl reet round into Queen-street in leisurely fashion and mingle With the crowd Wondering what all the trouble "was about, Th» police arrived shortly after the robbery, and) took possession, of the premises. The hole in the window was Stopped with a card, and wire guards were i put up. There were a couple of detectives shortly Afterwards oh the acene, and they made copious ' notes and some interrogations. vThe broken hasp on the wicket door of the mart was found on the floor. Nothing hit* been disturbed in the mart itself, so far as Mr. Blyth can ascertain. A STONE WITH A STORY. The diamond, which weighs 10J carats, is an unsually fine stone, and fit for a Royal crown It is held by a claw, from which three strings run, joining into a heavy band. It is the property of Mr. C. Clelland, commission agent, of Devonport, and was of such value that that gentleman thought it would be safer out of his house than in it. There is a history attached to it, as to most large diamonds, but the tale is one for a Wilkie Collins to tell; at any rate the robbery' Will invest it with additional interest. The value (£275) does not appear to be too high an estimate when it is realised that diamonds increase in value with every' carat—that is to say, a diamond of four carats would be Worth more than four diamonds of one carat each for stones of equal Water. It is hardly likely that it will be offered for sale in New Zealand, probably it will find its way to Amsterdam by way of London or New York, but the chances of its ever again reaching its ownsr are extremely remote.