FORTUNE IN STREET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 11

FORTUNE IN STREET

REMOVAL OF SAFE BREAKDOWN IN CITY SYDNEY, Aug. 11. A small fortune, consisting, of necklaces, watches, bracelets, jewelled ornaments, and precious stones of all descriptions, lay in tho roadway at- tile corner of Pitt and Market streets, one of the busiest intersections of the city, for nearly a quarter of an born- last night. No one interfered with it, because it was adequately protected by a massive jeweller’s safe, weighing nearly three tons.

Tlie safe, which was the property of Mr. .Mich ael Joseph, a city jeweller, fell into the street- as it- was being taken through Die city, and provided a new and vexing traffic problem for the police on point, duly.

Arrangements were made last night for the safe lo be taken from Mr. Joseph’s shop in the I lay market, to new premises in Pitt- street, but because of its great weight, and the difficulty of handling -t, Die safe was provided with a diminutive carriage of its own, standing about 4in. above the ground. This carriage, with tho tall safe on top, was towed successfully up George sheet- behind a lorry, but when it- reached Pitt street, one of the small iron wheels supporting the carriage gave way, and the safe slid off' the carriage into the street. Tho safe had had a small following of interested onlookers throughout the journey, and this, grew Lo a delighted crowd. _ A t raffic policeman considered the position, shrugged his shouldci's, and Went- on with his work. Motorists, after a glance at the. massive box, were carotid to give it plenty of room as they passed round it.

Eventually the little carriage was repaired, and the combined strength of about eight men put the safe back again. It went, on its way, while the- crowd cheered 1 .

“I sent my jewellery round in the safe because it seemed the safest way to move it,” Mr. Joseph explained later. “I knew it. would lie all right whatever happened—and, as you see, I was right.”