A DOUBLE BURGLARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2116, 13 September 1894, Page 28

A DOUBLE BURGLARY.

THE JOCKEY CLUB'S PREMISES ROBBED.

A daring and deliberately planned burglary took place in the city I ate on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning, the thieTes first breaking into Mr Harry L. James's private dwelling house in Canongate street, and after committing a robbery there going to the office of the Dunedin Jockey Olub in Rattray street and stealing a large sum ©f money which had been deposited in a safe in the office. From the way in which the robbery was carried out it would seem that the thieves had a pretty intimate acquaintance with Mr James's premises, and also knew of his connection with the jockey club and what his movements were. On Saturday Mr James was in attendance at the Hunt Club races, and after the day's sport was over he came into town and proceeded to the club's office to lock up some race money in the safe there. Having done this he went home for tea, and subsequently returned to the office with the view of counting the money and doing some clerical work in connection therewith. This being accomplished, he again wenthome at about 9 o'clock, and aboutanhour later he retired to bed. On getting up in the morning at 8 o'clook to awaken the servant he discovered the back door open, and on looking for his trousers he found they were missing. The trousers, however, were shortly afterwards picked up by the servant at the back of the house, but a bunch of keys (amongst which were the key b belonging to the Jockey Club's office) had been abstracted from one of the pockets. The" window of the back bedroom, which is some little distanca' from Canongate street, and hidden from the street by a high bank, was also found open, and a looking glass which stood on the dressing table in front of the window was lying outside at the rear of the house. The thieves had evidently got through the window into a spare bedroom, from which they passed through the servant's bedroom into the kitchen, going thence down two passages into Mr James's bedroom, in front of the house and overlooking Maclaggan street. Strange to say, neither Mr nor Mrs James, nor yet the servant, heard any noiie during the night, all of them sleeping very soundly. The thieves, however, in addition to taking the keys already referred to, also carried off a silver watch belonging to the servant, which they discovered in a handbag left oversight on the looking glass in the back bedroom, as well as a purse, containing £2 15s, belonging to Mrs James.

When Mr James found that his keys were gone, suspecting that the robbers intended to go to the office and take the money ont of the safe, he frooeeded to .the office as quickly as possible, only to find that his suspicions were too well founded. The door of the office had been opened and two safes inside ransacked, a third safe containing deeds and other papers beiug still locked. On examining the safes he discovered that the thieves bad stolen £132 in cash, a cheque for £237, and another cheque for £6, or £375 in all. It will therefore be seen that a bet ter planned and more impudent robbery has never taken place in Dunedin. No trace of the thieves, it is hardly necessary to state, has as yet been discovered, although the police, who were communicated with after the burglaries, are on the look out for the perpetrators of the crime.

No arrests have so far been made in connection with the robbery. Two of the safes were left open by the thieve*, but as the keys were taken away it is not kuowr- whether the third safe, which was left locked, was opened or not. The Dunedin Jockey Club offer a reward of £50 for evidence that will lead t« s conviction of the thievec.

The following items art? from the Timaru Herald : — Lambing in the Mackenzie Country will be iD full swing in the c wive of a fortnight, and as yet there is no spring in the grass. Everything in th»t pert '"of the country is very backward this season as compared tolatt. — We see b> the last wool catalogues that; the clip of Three Springs estate, owned by the. National Mortgage Company, brought about the highest price in the July sal»s, being only eclipsed by one other lot — Gladbrook. Th ; s rpeaks well for the man > £"ienb. The clip of Strath'-onai also came *"el W?. the front The Sou bland correspondent of the Bruce Herald .Tj-ites *s follows on meat - freezing affairs down south : — " The Southland Freezing and Meat Export Company gavfe notice some time ago that operations would be suspended till after ibeariag. The works will be closed down in about a. week's eiruo. As to the Ocean Beach works It is nob so easy to get; anything like definite 'nfonaation. According to the articles of association jf that company a meeting is now dua, and the public has been looking

forward to the holding of the meeting in the •*• pectation that some information would be vouch" safed,, everything hitherto having been carrier! ' on under a cloud of mystery. I mentioned some time ago that the works had been transferred to Messrs Nelson Bros It se?ms that on May 1 1-st » company was registered with a capital of £50,000 in 10,000 shares of £5 each. The shareholders are stated to be the following : — Mr George Langctale Sutherland* sheepfarmer, Tomoana ; Mr Henry George Warren, accountant, Tomoana; Mr William Wilson, sheepfarmer, Tomo&n* ; Mr James Bonnie Reid 1 , merchant, Dunedin; Mr Thomas. Theodore Boys, superintendent freezing works, Bluff ; Mr George James Parker, clerk to Nelson Bros. t Bluff; Mr Joseph George Ward, merihanfc, Invercargill ; and Mr John Fisher, manager J.. G. Ward Farmers' Association, Invercargill j each of whom holds ont share fulfy paid up, and there are 9993 shares of £5 each credited as fully paid up, the ownership of which i» nob disclosed. There is a sum of £35 only paid ia cash, and the vendor (whoever he may be> agrees to spend £3000 on the purchase of additional land and to complete all buildings in course of erection. The property at present comprises 414 acres of freehold and 32 acres of leasehold, which with works, plant, machinery, and appliances is valued at £50,000. Under the articles of association, the business is to be carried on for savt-n years under the management of Mr J. G. Ward At the end of that time, should the shareholders be unable to agree upon a basis of future' operations, tha company is to be liquidated, and the property is to be sold by auction. The first charge upon ■ tho earnings of the company is to be a dividend not to exceed 6 per cent, on the amount of capital invested by any member of thecompany; 15 per cent, is- to be deducted annually for depreciation of machinery, and 7£ per cent, on buildings and plant; the balance of the net earnings is to be divided (1) to a reserve fund : and (2) to the payment of a fourth as dividend on the capital invested by any member. These particulars are given in full because the origin and ownership of this company has hitherto been surrounded in mystery."

According to the refuras supplied us (Bruce Herald) by the proprietor, Mr James Gr^y, it is apparent the Bruce Dairy Factory's season 1893-94 was rssentially successful. During the se*son 121,900ga\ of milk were received at the factory and converted into 128,033 ib of cheese, the milk being in excess of the previous year's supply by 4700ga1. Each gallon of milk made lib of cheese and 6 133 b over. The price paid for the milk was 3£d >er gallon and 5 per cent, upon the value besidts. The Bruce Dairy Factory is now a paying concern, and is more and more appreciated by the farmers of the district. It is abundantly provided with cheese-making appliances, is admirably managed both inside and out, and could, if the milk were only available, turn oub at least 30 per cent, more cheeie than it is now doing. And by a comparatively *mill addition to the appliances the output of cheese could be doubled. To the farrcers it should bs a veritable stand-by, where at the end of the season a substantial and sure cßeque is to be had for milk supplied, and as we pointed out a Bb.Grt time isince, if the factory were kept in fuU work tlia milk would command 4d per gallon: It rrs^s with the farmers them selves to' mak» the facory p*y to the uttermost farthing. Libcr.il patronage will do it. We notice that the management has announced October 1 as the day for the opening of the factory for the season.

A well-attended meeting of farmers and graziers was held at Kurow on Saturday, September 8, to hear from the committee the result of their appeal to Wellington. The corres* pondence was read, and the concluding letter from the Hon. W. J. Steward was as follows : — " Wellington, August 30, 1894. Dear Sir,— During the last fortnight I have had three interviews with the Minister for Lands re the subject referred to in yours of 13th and 2lst inst. I have the assurance that the talue of the • natural en. my ' is not being lost sigh* of, but understand him to intend to provide supplies by bre ding from 'vermin' »lread> imporred. Whether this can be done successfully I do nob know with stoats and weasels, but if not importation will be necessary. He also assures me that rabbit inspectors have instructions not to disturb sheep during lambing tiinp, and says that if any breach or these instructions occurs specific complaint should be made so that the offender may be dealt with by the department." — A resolution was then unanimously carried that letters be written thankingthe Hon. W. J. Steward for his action, and the Minister for Lands for putting a stop to the Rabbit department disturbing ewes at lambing time, and asking them both not to lose sight of the very great urgency of the assistance that would bo rendered by providing more stoats and weasels.

A telegram has been received in Lawrence within the lasb few days from the Hon. Mr Larnach, M H.R., which ..peaks hopefully of an early settlement of , the mining difficulty at Waipori. He has been doing all in bis power, he s»ys, to get the matter arranged, but admits there are many difficulties in the way. After an exhaustive discussion of the matter with the Government, he was given to understand that it wai impossible that it could be set- led within at le»st a month. The question, Mr Larntch says, involves so many grave con«iderations that the Government find it impossible to force legislation and have to acb cautiously because of the> ri#k of creating fresh difficulties in other parts of the colony. It is to be hoped Mr Larnach. may continue, as he his been doing, to interest himself in the question on behalf of the miners, and if even a settlement of tbe question should be arrived at in the time named, the prospect will not be quite so dismal as it appeared a few ago. — Tnapeka Times.

The operations of the Glenore Goldmining Company during the last week or two have (says the Bruce Herald) effected quite a ch'&nge in the appearance of the locality. The dam and embankment constructed confines the creek to the eastern side and encloses 'a very large and • still pool, in which the dredge lies and works. If there was any nuisance, which we very much doubt, it is entirely abated- now, and we hope work will be pushed on and as much geld as possible fent to market. — Mr Clymer and his party have shown some enterprise in openirjg up a block of old workings, near the church, in which a lot of solid ground was left. They have brought in a head race, fixed up an overshot waterwh'el and Californian pump, and mean to take all before them if the ground pays. We had a look at the place the other day, and the indications are good. There in a face of promising ferruginous wash res'-.ing • on a false bottom of silty clay that ought 'kj ciri-y gold. It •s our belief that the " Qla Wo'lsbed" is nob ne»rJy work< d out yet. There is a high hill above the junction of the M*Dtik» creek on the right or the Woolshed creek, ' looking upwards, in which, or we are very much' mistaken, the old creek bed is to be found, and if it is there there should be a few hundred pounds' weight of gold to be taken out.

Mr A. Anderson, solicitor, Riverton, and three others of his family have been left No. 1 Mine, Western Australia, fitom whjolkr recent cjcußhiiur gave £400. »x*jajHissw