£20,000 LONDON RAID.
BANDITS IN THE WEST END. MAN FELLED WITH BLOW. VALUABLE JEWELS SNATCHED. Within an area of only 70 yards, and in tho heart of tho West End shopping district of London, motor-car bandits carried out two amazing jewel robberies on Monday, January 4. Mr. George Baker, a jeweller's manager, was thrown down in Maddox Street, and a box containing jewellery to the valuo of £20,000 stolen from him. A plate-glass window in a shop in New Bond Street was smashed and £SOO worth of jewels taken. In each case the robbery was committed within 30 yards of a policeman on traffic duly. Despite immediate hue and cry the thieves made their escape. The first robbery was committed shortly before 10 o'clock in tho morning. Mr. Baker is manager for Mr. A. G. Chalkc, wholesale jeweller, and had gone lo tho Midland Bank in New Bond Street to fetch a box of jewels which had been deposited there over the week-end. The bank is only a minute's walk from Mr. Chalke's office, and Mr. Baker, on his return, had got to within 10 yards of the office when a man suddenly dashed toward him, dragged his hat over his eyes, thrust an arm under his chin, and with a blow felled him to the pavement. Ihe bandit then grabbed the jewel-box and entered a red-coloured motor-car which was driven rapidly up George Street toward Hanover Square. All in a Few Seconds. "It nil happened in a few seconds," Mr. Chalkc said. ''Mr. Baker, who is a man of strong physique, could easily have tackled the man, but he was taken by surprise and so violently treated that he had no chance. Passers-by raised the alarm and policemen came running up, but the bandits' car had vanished even before the policeman on traffic duty at the New Bond Street crossing a few yards away was informed of tho robbery. 'Mr. Baker caught a glimpse of a man with a dark overcoat jumping into a red touring car. A man with a leather coat and what looked like a peak cap was driving. "I think the thieves must have watched Mr. Baker's movements. Three years ago I had a burglary on the premises, and since then, although I have a double safe, I have deposited my most valuable stock in the'bank. Every Monday morning it has been Mr. Baker's custom to call at the bank for the jewels and carry them to the office. A man employed in a shop in Maddox Street and also a girl shop assistant, saw tho robbery, but it was carried out so swiftly that they were able to give no description of the thief. Until the car had disappeared and they heard people shouting "Stop thief!" they hardly realised what had happened. Smash and Grab Raid. New Botid Street was crowded with fashionably-dressed shoppers when, at 2.30 p.m., the crashing of glass turned their attention to a jeweller's shop owned by Mr. \V. Phillips. The plate-glass window had been smashed with a motor-jack wrapped in brown paper, and £SOO worth of jewels stolen. Two young men were seen to dash down a narrow passage which runs immediately at tho sido of the shop. They entered a dirty grey motor-car, which was at once driven at a reckless speed through two streets, where it turned off in tho direction of Hanover Square. A policeman on traffic duty at the junction of Maddox Street and New Bond Street—3o yards from the shop—raced down Maddox Street and through a sideturning. in the hope of cuttiry; off the raiders' retreat, but he was just too late. The property stolen includes two brooches of exquisite workmanship. One is sin. long and set with diamonds, and the other is shaped like a butterfly and is set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 11
Word Count
641£20,000 LONDON RAID. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 11
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