DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14392, 10 June 1910, Page 5

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

OR. PARKES' HOUSE ENTERED. I OR. PARKES' HOUSE ENTERED. THEFT OF JEWELLERY. ■ r y . HAUL VALUED AT £600. - ■ ..-- - ■,-...■..-...■..•• .. - '- One of the most audacious burglaries ever Perpetrated in Auckland occurred.in.broad, ' daylight on Wednesday at "Monnoto | . Sv'inonds-street, the residence of Dr. W H. | " Parkes, the spoil consisting of jewellery | valued at £600. r , ;V ■ On Wednesday afternoon Dr. Parkes was * W av from home attending to professional Sis and Mrs. Parkes had been devoting ' her attention to the preparation of a typed '" report, which was presented last night-at '<■ annual meeting of the Society-for the '. Health of Women and Children, of which ". ' she is the secretary. . At about five p.m. one of the nursery- • maids, who had just returned from an outing with the children, discovered that the Nursery, which is on the first floor, had been disarranged, and immediately informed Mrs Parkes of the fact. ■ The children s money boxes were found to have been rifled, in d it was soon ascertained that Mrs. Partes bedroom had also been roughly ransacked. The drawers of a large chest had been forced open and two jewel cases divested of their valuable contents, while the ■ daring visitors had also rummaged through eo'me smaller dressing-table drawers and cabinets. A large wardrobe had been opened by bursting the lock, but another wardrobe built into the wall had been passed by. By this oversight the burglars missed a cash-box containing about ,£4O, and they also overlooked a diamond pendant and* two ear-rings in a small dressing table drawer, but otherwise their . eeartfh of the rooms entered was apparently very thorough. . They secured two beautiful diamond rings, valued at £150 % each, one having been given to Mrs. " Parkes by her mother, and the other be- " ing a present which Dr. Parkes purchased for his wife in London last year. A very valuable pearl pendant, some rings, valued at £20 and £30 each, a num- ' ber of brooches, two gold watches belonging to Mrs. Parkes, and a gold watch recently given to Dr. Parkes by a patient " were also secured. The only further evidence of the mysti- ', -. fying work of the burglars was the finding in the bedroom of a woman's cotton glove, which had evidently been used for the pur- ■. pose of contracting finger-print evidence. Although Mb.' Parkes was in her sittmgroom adjoining the nursery after 3.30 ' ' p.m., at which : time she noted that the :: nursery was undisturbed, she did not hear anyone come up the house stairs and past the door of her sittingroom, which, however, wae closed. None of the servants . were in the front part of the house. It is thought that entrance was effected I fcnrough the front door from Symondsstreet, the catch of which opened from the outside. Further, it would be possible for anyone to obtain a view of the front hall through the front door letter slot. - Very j ' thick carpet covers the stairway and pasages, which would be an aiding factor. . : The sittingroom referred to is situated at head of the stairs, and the nursery is H Immediately adjoining, while Mrs. Parkes's bedroom is a few doors further round the ••'■' .passage. Another stairway gives access ':'■. to this part of the house from the back premises, but it is considered that had this been mr.de use of the burglars would ?.;' have hi? upon'the valuable booty right off without visiting other rooms. It is further surmised that tie fact of a pendant j -/-' ind earrings being overlooked may indicate that the robbers took a hurried departure i on account of being disturbed. In any case, they must have heard the click of ';'•: the typewriter throughout the whole of .their operations. / The matter is in the hands of the police. \ \ : '~- :? t . ========= . . MINISTERS' MOVEMENTS. ' M __ * — ■'Rs;&'!-'-f.':''".:. ■■■v. ; >Y'.' : . ./' \-'\ : .:.\V';'"..';,'' ; \--'i ■■.-i"^."'-'-' : ' , \-1..-'''- .'.'■'-'■' ;'■.''. : *£&The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) left Auckland for Huntly yesterday morning.' ■ Prior to leaving the city Sir Joseph Ward called on Mrs. Baume, and also '■•■;.' visited Messrs. T. Harle Giles and Alfred '.. ; , Kidd, who are both confined to their home© by sickness. The Prime Minister was presented before his departure with a hand»me kauri gum clock by Mr. G. Hannah. | .Sir Joseph Ward attended the native j ' ■conference at Waahi, near Huntly, '. - mi land matters yesterday, and '" in the evening, accompanied by his ;' private secretaries (Messrs. Hislop and j ;;'Matthews), proceeded to Frankton Junc- - iion to catch the Main Trunk train early - morning for Wellington. with a hand»me kauri gum clock by Mr. G. Hannah. ;Sir Joseph Ward attended the native sohference at Waahi, near Huntly, jo land matters yesterday, and n the evening, accompanied by his arivate secretaries (Messrs. Hislop and Slatthews),, proceeded to Frankton Junction to catch the Main Trunk train early ihis morning for Wellington. .■The Hon. James Carroll (Native Minislli&'ter) will . attend the conference of Maoris at Waahi- on the land question to-day, and will subsequently leave for Welling- . . ton. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Railways, left Auckland for Wellington, by last evening express. -- ...*.,.. . ■■'■'-■ ■.:'•• ~ • : ■'. : . ■"■■ •■'"• '■.'.-•'■•'■•'■.-.' "■■'- "" ■