MYSTERIOUS THEFT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21905, 17 March 1933, Page 9

MYSTERIOUS THEFT

Scotland Yard detectives have been trying to solve a most daring and mysterious jewel robbery. The jewellery, valued at about £IO,OOO, was stolen from a traveller’s motor car belonging to Messrs Payton, Pepper, and Sons, Ltd., manufacturing jewellers, of Birmingham, who have a London branch at Ely place, Hatton Garden. The motor car was left in a car park at Grove road, Sutton, Surrey, while the traveller, Mr L. Josephs, of Birmingham, and the chauffeur were having luncheon. When they returned to the park the car was missing. It was later found abandoned in Christchurch Park, Sutton, only a few hundred yards away. All the jewellery had been removed. The mysterious nature of the robbery arose from the fact that when -the traveller left the motor car in the park he locked all the doors, and when the car was found abandoned, with the jewellery gone, they were still locked. An official of Messrs Payton and Pepper said to a Daily Mail reporter : “ One can only suppose that the thief or thieves had a master key with which they unlocked the door of the car, drove it away, stole the jewellery, < and then went to (he trouble of locking the door again before they abandoned it. The jewellery, which consisted of hundreds of items, including diamond and gold rings, necklaces, earrings, and brooches, was contained in leather b*gs ar'V is valued roughly at