BURGLAR'S BIG RAIDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21948, 9 May 1933, Page 9

BURGLAR'S BIG RAIDS

VALUABLE JEWELLERY STOLEN MANY THOUSANDS OF POUNDS ENGLISH MANSION EOBTjEj;. Many thousands of pounds' worth of jewels were stolen during a week-end ilast months in raids at Chilham Castle, near Canterbury, England, the home of Sir Edmond Davis, art collector, and at the premises of a London West End jeweller, Mr Frederick Berry. In both cases the thieves appear to have made elaborate plans beforehand, but the men responsible for the West End burglary made a great error. They broke open the wrong safe, escaping with a haul of less than £3OOO when it mighf; have been worth tens of thousands. In is believed two men were concerned in the theft at Chilham Castle. They entered the fine old Jacobean residence, which was designed by Inigo Jones, while Sir Edmund Davis and his family were at supper on Sunday night, and all the members of the household staff were downstairs. It is clear that the object of their raid was Lady Davis's personal jewellery, and that they knew exactly where to find it. They first stole a 22ft ladder from a cottage on the outskirts of Sir Edmund's estate, and carried it nearly a mile across the park to the castle walls.

DISCOVERY BY A MAID. The ladder was placed in such .ft position that the thieves could break a window at the back of the building and climb into Lady Davis's bedroom. They were apparently able to search the room completely undisturbed, and it was not until a servant went upstairs to prepare the rooms for the night that the robbery was discovered. The girl found the window of Lady Davis's bedroom wide open and everything in a state of confusion. The thieves had taken: A three-row pearl necklace with a diamond clasp, two-row ruby necklace with a diamond clasp, a gold repeater watch, a large arrow-shaped diamond and jade brooch, a heart-shapd black opal brooch, a pair of gold scissors, a three-diamond and opal brooches, two ruby and diamond brooches, two seed pearl necklaces, and a large sable fur. The police found the ladder lying on the lawn and a number of, footprints in the soil at the foot of the wall. It was learned that two strange men had been seen in a motor car near the castle earlier in the evening. Lady Davis stated that she could not estimate the full extent of her loss. The thieves spared nothing in their search of her room. Every drawer had been pulled out and the contents strewn on the floor. Clothing, hair-brushes, and toilet jars were thrown about, and even the pillows were pulled from the bed. CONFEDERATE'S PADLOCK. Safe-breaking apparatus of the most modern type was used in the West End raid, and the thieves appear to havo worked for anything up to 36 hours. They were equipped with oxy-acetylene cylinders, blow pipes, and drills, and they left most of their tools behind. The robbery was first discovered when an assistant "tried to open the premises next morning. He found that his key would not turn the lock, and the door had to be forced. Entrance to the premises had been gained by forcing a. padlock on the small door in the roller shutters, and then the glass door of the shop. It is believed that as soon as the gang was inside a confederate substituted another padlock on the shutter door. " We had two big safes, and our most valuable jewellery was in the one that was not touched," said Mr Berry. "It must have taken the men hours to open the safe. They appear to have worn gloves,- but several fingerprints were found on the safe and showcases." After emptying the safe the thieves stole a quantity of jewellery and valuabel antiques from the shop window, but left behind heavy gold and silver plate.