THE BOX TRICK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12411, 22 March 1911, Page 8

THE BOX TRICK.

Some of the smart gentry m Auckland have 'devised a new 1 method of raising money without 'working for it, and so : far they ha.v,e been Buccessful— but just successful m keeping -Out 'of the hands of the law. Two of 'these' self-smart " citizens, have been operating -for some time now (states the Star). Their practice is to. pick out a store where' only one person is employed. "Ong* man goes m and asks to be supplied with a box, and offers to accompany the shopman to the back of his premise's to pick out a suitable one. Once there he engages the shopman m conversation, leaving his accomplice free, to abstract as much as possible from- the till m the shop. A man walked into the Bhop of Mr E. Varley, tea merchant, Newmarket^ and asked tox a box. Mr Varley's suspicions were aroused, and, taking the man to the back of his premises, ne left him to select a box, and then hurried off to telephone for the police. The majv bocame suspicious, and when Mr Varley appealed to a bystander to help him to detain the man, the suspected one started running. Others joined m the chase, assisted by a constable, but the man got clear. A man of the same description went into the shop of Mr H. 0- Lumsden, stationer, at- N©WTnarket, and meeting Mr Lunisden, asked for a b6x. This time the pair were more successful, for the enquirer wasf. taken to the back of the Bhop, and after declining the boxes displayed, left, stating they were not suitable. Wheiv Mr Lumsden re> turned to the shop he noticed the till was open, and £3 10s was found to bd mining. Other districts .have ahjo been visited. The pair are believed to have been m Patneft, and they are also said to have visited Pbnsonby and Freeman's Bay. In Ponsonby they Visited a grocer j according to information,; and m addition to taking ■■ £10 took the till as well. The police are anxiously Bearchy ing for the men, and shopkeepera. are. warned to beware of men "warning