LOSS OF JEWELLERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22018, 26 January 1935, Page 10

LOSS OF JEWELLERY

PASSENGER ON MONTEREY BROOCH AND THREE RINGS INVESTIGATION BY DETECTIVES The disappearance of valuable jewelfrom a cabin on the Monterey, while the liner was approaching Pago Pago on January 15, was investigated by detectives on the arrival of the vessel at Auckland yesterday. The jewellery, which belongs to Mrs. Thorold Fink, of Melbourne, a through passenger, consists of three rings and a brooch, valued at about £440. The loss of the jewellery was reported to the purser not long before the Monterey reached Pago Pago. Mrs. Fink occupies a cabin on B deck, and is travelling alono. The rings and the brooch had been placed in a drawer of the cabin dressing-table, which was notlocked. They had disappeared the following morning. The fact that the jewellery was missing from Mrs. Fink's cabin was brought beforo the passengers on the Monterey in a notice* inserted in the ship's newspaper, The Polynesian. The notice read: "Lost. —Three rings and a brooch. A reward of £3O will be paid if they are returned to the purser." There was no response, however, and few on board were aware that there Was more iji the loss than the mere fact of the articles having been accidentally misplaced.

A careful inquiry into the incident was conducted by tho captain and the purser of the Monterey. It was stated that Mrs. Fink had been allotted a small safe deposit box in the purser's office, but this had not been used for storing the jewellery on the particular occasion. The most valuable piece is the brooch, which is of platinum and has 17 diamonds in the setting. It is valued at £IBO. One of the rings, set with sapphires and-diamonds, is worth £l6O, and another, a diamond cluster, £IOO, while thq third is only of nominal value, the stones being imitation. The police in Auckland had been advised of the reported theft before the arrival of the liner, and a detective boarded the Monterey from the Customs launch. Another officer went on board after the vessel had berthed at Prince's Wharf, and inquiries were prosecuted for about three hours. No trace of the missing jewellery had been found when the liner sailed for Sydney early in the evening.