ECHO OF ARMED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

ECHO OF ARMED

Jewels Worth £20,000 In a Liverpo

THE alleged discovery of nearly £20,000 worth of stolen jewellery in a strong box at a Liverpool safe deposit was referred to at Bow Street Court, London, on January 3, when two sisters were committed for trial. The two women are: Mrs. Sarah Kornbluth, aged 43, of Shepherd's Bush, and Jessie Rubin, aged 26, of Bow. They were defended by Mr. Edward Fail. Mr. McKenna, the magistrate, decided that there was evidence to go before a jury on charges against both women of receiving the jewellery and of being accessories after the fact of the robbery.

THE jewels were stated to have been, stolen by armed men on November 9 from the flat of Mrs. Millicent Hesketh-Wright, at Aldford House, Park Lane, West London. A man named James Hynes, alleged to be one of the three concerned, lias been committed for trial. The sisters were arrested in Liverpool. Mr. Lawson-Walton, opening the case for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that the magistrate might think it proper to commit the defendants on charges of being accessories after the robbery. Counsel related how, on November 9, the flat of Mrs. Hesketh-Wright at Aldford House, Park Lane, was entered by three men, one, who was .armed with a revolver, forcing her to open a safe and hand over the jewellery. Suspicion fell on Hynes, and 011 November 11, Chief-Inspector Parker called on Miss Rubin, who, in answer to his questions, said that she had been very friend!v with Hynes and had last seen him three weeks previously. Ho was then going to Paris. Visits to Prison

know her. 1 have never seen her before.'' When Miss Rubin was taken to the charge room aud a rcciuest was made that she should be searched, she exclaimed: "There is no need to search me. I will give you what I have got." "And she produced," said Mr. Law-son-Walton, "a bracelet worth £1600." Prison Receipt

Counsel declared that also in her possession wero the sate deposit contract and a receipt for £1 from Brixton Prison paid in for Hynes. The strong-box was opened, and was found to contain all the articles taken from Mrs. Hesketh-Wright's safe, with tho exception of the £I6OO bracelet, which Miss Rubin had taken out, and another piece of jewellery. When Superintendent ' Moore cautioned Miss Rubin she said: "I was sent for that very article I gave you to help in his (Hynes') trial. 1 won't tell you who sent me. I will say no more until I see a solicitor." Miss Rubin was then charged with unlawful possession of jewellery, but was discharged to be handed over to tho London Metropolitan Police. Alleged Statement Mr. Walton said that Miss Rubin, who had jfiven her name as Jessie Rubin, a shorthand-typist, had made a statement, from which he read extracts.

Later, she said that she had some of Hynes' clothes, and in his room was found a large trunk containing clothing and papers belonging to him. Chief-Inspector Parker, who became suspicious, had further interviews with Miss Rubin on November 12 and 18. Again she said she had not seen Hynes

"About 10 or 12 years ago," the alleged statement began, "Hynes, whom I knew as Goodman, first came to my parents' house in Edwards Road. He was introduced by a friend of the family. "I' knew him to bo an American. Ho went away, and I saw him again

since October, and had no knowledge of his whereabouts, and knew nothing of the jewellery. . : Hynes was arrested, charged with the robbery, and committed to the Central Criminal Court. "During this time Hynes has been ponfined in Brixton continued Mr. Lawson-Walton. "While the hearings of his -case were going on before this court, the two women were kept under observation. "Mrs. Kornbluth visited Hynes several times in prison and had given a false address. Chief-Inspector Parker found that Mrs. Kornbluth was a sister of Miss Rubin. - Property In Strong Box "Inquiries for the' jewellery .were made at every safe deposit in Great Britain. A detective-constable of the Liverpool police found that on November. 11 a woman had visited a safe deposit in that city and rented a strong dox. » . "She gave the name of Marian Cooper with an address at Westcliff-on-Sea. Some property was deposited in the strong box, and then she left. "It was found that there was no such person as this Marian Cooper at We'stcliff, and the Liverppol police were asked to keep observation at tho safe deposit. "About 11 a.m. on December 28, while an officer was keeping observation, Miss Bubrn called at the Liverpool safe deposit. She again gave the name of Miss Cooper. £I6OO Bracelet '"She was about to take the strong box into a private cubicle and she chose that moment to abstract from the .strong box ti bracelet worth £I6OO. This was the property of Mrs. Hesketh- Wright, and it has been told tho officer that she had done this at the request of Hynes because he said his defence would cost £2OO, added counsel. Ho had hoped to net £2OO from America, but all that he received was 200 dollars (£4O). . Describing tho sisters' alleged visit to Liverpool, Mr. Lawson-Walton saul. that as Miss Rubin was leaving the safe deposit premises she was- followed and stopped by two detectives. She said to them that she was staying at the Adephi Hotel—a statement which she later admitted was not true, olio also gave a false name and address, "She declared," continued Mr. Law-son-Walton, "that she was examining documents of a secret character, the contents of which she was not_ willing to divulge. She refused to give her true name and address." Keys Refused Miss llubin, counsel continued, was taken to the police station, where she denied that tne strong box contained the product of any robbery. She refused to give up tho keys of the safe. She was then taken to the charge room, which is in another part of tho city, by two policemen, and during tho journey they passed Mrs. Kornbluth, who took no notice of her sister . A constable went back and spoke to her. Mrs. Kornblntli said: "1 don't

about five years later. He came to the house of his own accord, and he and 1 became very friendly. He talked to me about his family affairs, and told me he had been divorced."

The statement continued, said Mr. Lawson Walton, to the elfect that* Miss Rubin saw Hynes at her place of business on November 10. Ho said he was going back to America, and told her he had "somthing very valuable,'" which he wished her to place in a safe place. "Brown Paper Package" The two met in London, according to the statement, and went to Liverpool, where, after having tea, Hynes left Miss Rubin for a short time and returned with a suitcase. The statement continued: "He handed me a brown paper package, which I later knew contained a jewel case. "As Hynes handed over the package he said: 'Please deposit that for me, using another name and address.' 1 had already been to the safe deposit, and arranged for the uso of a deposit box." The package was placed in the de{josit, it was stated, and Miss Rubin landed two keys to H.vnes, who posted them to someone she did not know. "He saw me off to London," continued Mr. Lawson Walton, reading from the statement, "saying he had to go to Ireland. On November 13 Hynes 'phoned me and asked me to meet him at Goltiers Green, and said he was short of money.

"He asked me to get £2O, which I did. I understood he wanted the