CLUES WIPED AWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 26 (Supplement)

CLUES WIPED AWAY.

THIEVES AND RNGKR-PRINTS. BANKER ROBBED - * OF, JEWEES. Burglars who robbed the house of. Mr. G. M. Booth, in London, a director of the Bank of England, took paina r to destroy possible clues to their identity. Before quitting the premises after the (did they polished the furniture with, oil so that no incriminating finger-prints should remain. .. Despite this, ■ however, detectives discovered certain marks closely resembling finger-prints. Jewellery and other articles worth £2500 were stolen from the house while Mr. and Sirs. Booth wore aw'ay. The raid was carried out during a "period when the place happened to, be -un - attended". Two maids who were in sqle charge returned from a walk to find the basement door bolted after the lock'*had been forced with a jemmy. - ; Entering by the front door, the parlourmaid found that Mrs. Booth's bedropm had been ransacked. The theives seemed to have had an extensive knowledge of the house, for they went straight- into ' the room where the most valuable jewellery was usually kept. Fortunately,. Mrs. BoOth was wearing a good deal of it, Tlie greatest loss consisted of a very fine'ttecklace of graduated pearls with a dinfflond clasp, valued at .£ISOO. . , ...- • tv? The missing articles numbered. 24, aijd included costly rings, pendants, and bracelets. The parlourmaid stated she thought she must have disturbed the burglars when she went in.

"I am almost certain that they were still in tho house," adjjed the parlourmaid. "My coming down the staircase gave tho* thieves plenty of time to let themselves out of the front door. They did not leave a real clue that we could discover. They had polished the furniture until yoit could see your face in it to obliterate all trace of finger-prints.";'