DARING ROBBERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3399, 7 May 1919, Page 5

DARING ROBBERY.

MILTON SAVINGS BANK BEOKEN INTO.

A daring robbery took. place at Milton on Wednesday night. From what can be gathered the postmaster at Milton (Mr P. M'Guire)., a very old servant of the department, retired to bed at about 11 o'clock, leaving his office keys in the hip pocket of his trousers, which were hung in the wardrobe. Some time on Thursday morning Mr M'Guire heard a noise in his bedroom, but after listening for some p time and hearing nothing more he concluded that the sound was caused by the springs of the bed in the .adjoining room, occupied ; by his little daughter. At 7 o'clock a boy from the office informed Mr M'Guire that the office safe door was standing open. An iiives Ligation was at once made and the police were advised. It was found that the safe had been opened with a key and that all the notes in the safe had been taken, amounting to over £SOO. It is understood that there were six £SO notes and several £lO notes. The office has a record of the numbers of the £SO notes, and also of most of the £lO notes. Detective-sergeant Kemp and Detective Hammerly went through to Milton by motor car early yesterday morning, and spent the day there making inquiries. They returned by the south express in' the evening. Constable Fox is also engaged on the case. The police are reticent regarding the result of their investigations, but it is understood that no evidence which would lead to the discovery of the thief or. c thieves is so far forthcoming.

Much sympathy is felt for Mr M'Guire in his Unfortunate experience, as he has just concluded an unblemished record of service covering the past 40 years.

About £lO -worth of silver and about £2OO worth of stamps and postal notes were in the safe, but these were not touched. On Wednesday two sums running into a considerable amount of money were lodged in the Post Office Savings Bank. It is presumed that these transactions were known to the thieves, and that it was to get this money that the safe was rifled. POLICE RECOVER £396. A young man named Victor Keen, aged about 26 years, and a resident of Milton, was arrested by Constable Palmer at Oamaru about noon on Friday following on the receipt a few hours earlier of* news of the Milton robbery. It appears that Keen, who is a horse trainer, left Milton the morning after the burglary with a trotting horse for Oamaru, where he cashed a £lO note at the railway station on Thursday evening. This note was traced to his possession yesterday by Constable Palmer, who also recovered another £lO note at the Bank of New South Wales. Detective Sergeant Kemp and Detective Hammerly, on being advised of the arrest, left Dunedin at 1 p.m. by motor car, arriving at Oamaru tour hours later. With Constable Palmer they recovered £396 of the stolen money in a money belt which the arrested- man had secreted in an outhouse belonging to a Mrs Speed. It is said that Keen admitted his guilt. A considerable amount of the money was spent in the purchase of harness and clothing. The detectives give credit to Mr Hanson, the National Bank manager at Milton, and to the constables stationed at Milton and' Oamaru for their assistance, which brought about a speedy arrest. Keen will be brought to Dunedin by the detectives this morning.

In the Oity Police Court on Saturday, before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., Victor Keen, who had been arrested at Oaniaru on the previous day, was charged with having on April 30, at Milton, entered by night the Milton Post Office Savings Bank and stolen therefrom about £SOO in bank notes, tho property of the New Zealand Government. Chief Detective Bishop asked for a remand till Friday. He stated that the stolen money recovered amounted to £415. The accused had spent a good deal. Accused asked for bail. The magistrate asked if it was advisable to grant bail at this stage, Chief Detective Bishop said the accused belonged f* Milton <#Wfcrict, and was going to work in a stably at Oamaru when ho was arrested. He had given every assistance in the recovery of the stolen bank notes, and he thought there could be

no objection to accused being liberated on bail. His Worship: "He was not attempting to leave when arrested?" The Chief Detective: "Oh, no." Bail was fixed at accused in £2OO, and two sureties of £IOO each.