BIG JEWEL HAUL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23690, 23 December 1938, Page 15

BIG JEWEL HAUL

CLERK WAYLAID AND BLINDFOLDED A £20,000 LOSS (From Our Own Correspondent) (By At Mail) LONDON, Nov. 21. Scotland Yarc< detectives are seeking men who have just carried out qne of the most daring raids on a ieweller’s shop ever recorded in crime history The gang attacked rhe jeweller’s chief clerk while on his way home, robbed him of his kevs, and bound and blindfolded him. Then, while he was still a captive, they robbed the jeweller’s safe of gems worth nearly £20,000.

The story of the robbery begins when Mr Leslie Coote left the premises of Messrs Andre Downes and Co., Ltdmanufacturing jewellers and setters, of Marshall street, Soho, where he is employed as chief clerk, to return to his home in Scarborough road. Tollington Park.

In his pocket were the keys of the shop, the inner office door, and the safe, where the firm's valuable stock of jewellery is kept at night. Last night Mr Coote was still too ill and shaken to see anybody, but this is the dramatic story he told his only brother. “Leslie said that he arrived at the end of Scarborough road about 9.30 p.m., which was much later than usual. Suddenly he was attacked by four men and hit on the head with something pretty heavy He doesn’t know what it was, but his head is still swathed in bandages. Then he was bundled into a car. his arms and legs were bound with rope, and a cloth was put over his head so that he could not see where he was going. “ The keys of the shop were taken from him. and also his wallet, in which he had between £8 and £lO. FLUNG INTO GUTTER

"He was In the car for about .two hours with a man sitting on either side of him. He could neither see nor move, but he could hear, and as far as he can gather the car was driven into some place—whether it was a garage or not he has no idea—where it was stopped for some time, He has no idea where the car went or how many men left it. He thinks two may have left and may have had another car in which they went to Marshall street. “The next thins was that the car was started again. After a time it slowed down, my brother’s bonds were taken off, and he was pushed out into the gutter near St. Paul’s road, Cauonbury. By the time he regained his feet the car had gone too far for him to identify it. Although severely shaken, he staggered to the nearest telephone kiosk and out through a call to Scotland Yard.” Flying Squad cars were rushed to Marshall street. Detectives examined the door leading to Messrs Downes s premises on the second floor, but it was locked and all appeared to be in order. Eventually they found where Mr Downes lived, in Hendon way, Hendon, and. in the early hours of the morning. detectives roused him from oea FOUND SAFE EMPTY He returned with the officers to Marshall street, opened his shop—and found the safe open and completely empty. Practically every article of jewellery which the Arm had in their possession was gone. . The jewellery included a diamond bracelet valued at about £SOOO, and.a large quantity of gems—emeralds, rubies, and square-cut sapphires. While detectives were examining the premises for other officers were Questioning Mr Coote. He was badly shaken by his experience. and was unable to give any clue to the identity of his assailants. “ Leslie has been with the firm for about 15 years,” his brother told the News of the World. “Mr Downes, his employer, was a life-long friend of my father, and has known Leslie since he was a'child.” _ The attack was made on Mr Cooote only a few days after he learned that he had been left £2OOO under the will of his uncle, Mr Archie Coote. who died a week ago WOMAN HEARD BANDITS Mrs Gollinger who lives in a fiat above the shop, was alone on Friday night She said she heard noises coming from Mr Downes’s workshop at about 11 p.m. and thought at first it was the caretaker The noises stopped when she opened her door, and she became frightened and locked herself in When her son and daughtcr-m----law returned a' midnight they found the house surroundet by police, who said they had been told that Mr Downes’s clerk had been robbed of the office keys, and that they were watching the building in case a robbery were attempted. Scotland Yard officers remained in the shop with Mr Downes, and photographs were taken of the room and its contents. Everything was examined by finger-print experts, and a lampshade was taken away for examination.