A DARING ROBBERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20906, 21 December 1929, Page 14

A DARING ROBBERY.

FIRM’S PAY-ROLL STOLEN,

LOSS OF £270 INVOLVED,

(Special to Dailt Times.)

CHRISTCHURCH, December 20,

A daring and well-planned robbery took place at the office of Messrs Hatherley Bros., situated at 58 Salisbury street, between noon and 1 p.m. to-day. The firm, which is one of the largest plastering businesses in Christchurch, lost roughly £270 in cash through the theft.. Most of this amount had been made up’ into pay envelopes for the employees. From the circumstances attending the crime it appears that the person responsible was well acquainted with the lay-out of the building and the habits of those who frequent it. The office itself is a building of £wo fairly large rooms, one of which is used by Mr O. S. Pennicuick, whose fitting shop and joinery works are nearby, and the other is occupied by Messrs Hatherley Bros. A right-of-way leads from Salisbury street, a distance of about 60. yards to heavy wooden gates, which are directly opposite the door and window of Messrs Hatherley’s room.

Tho thief apparently broke through a portion of the window and reached ini^ or the latch. The lower portion Of the window cannot be raised, and the entry was made after pulling down the upper half, . Once inside the thief went straight through the office, past the rdll-top desk, and took the key of the desk from above the door connecting the two rooms. This was on Mr Pennicuick’a side of the door. Returning to the desk, he found it an easy matter to open it and collect all the cash, .which had been left there at noon by the clerk (Mr R. M’Doweil), who t had been making up the pay-en-velopes. The desk was then relocked, the key was put back again in its place, and the thief left by the door, which he locked behind him. Several odd silver coins were found on the floor at the rear of the office and by the door, these must have been dropped on-tho way out. 1

The firm employs 40 or 60 men, including apprentices, and the regular custom is for the senior partner, Mr E. J. Hatherley, to call at the office early on Friday morning and to write a cheque tor the wages which are to be. paid later an the day. This was done to-day and the cheque was cashed subsequently by Mr M Dowell. The amount of money was larger than usual, as several of the men had been on country jobs and Lad a certain amount of overtime coming to them. Two of them had been working at Menzies Bay and two had been working at Groymouth. These men wore to receive upwards of £3O. One of the men from Greymouth had applied for early payment on Thursday and had received ±3O m cash. \

Mr Hatherley usually calls at 12 oclock and uoHects the pay envelopes which have been made up by the clerk so that he can deliver them to the men at the jobs in the afternoon. If any of them are missed they return to the office when they have finished work for the day and receive .their wages from the clerk instead. Through pressure of business Mr Hatherley. did not return at the usual time to collect the wages toT»«rV an « was at 1 P- m - thafc Mr A 1 Dowell communicated with him by telephone informing him of the theft. Mr MDowoll had cashed the cheque at the Bank of. New Zealand in the morning and had received the amount mainly m £lO notes. He returned to thfe office and began making up tnc envelopes. These were almost completed, although none was sealed, when he left for lunch at noon, leaving the cash in his locked desk and locking the premises after him. The key was put in its place above the door in Mr Pennicuick’a office,’ The amount which was drawn from the bank yesterday is much more •than that winch is normally drawn each week. This in itself could be regarded as evidence that the crime is the work of someone with a knowledge of the business.

Detectives- are Investigatin'; the circumstances of the theft.