BURGLARS’ GLEAM BREAK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 4, 30 December 1912, Page 6

BURGLARS’ GLEAM BREAK.

MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT A BANK "A HEAVY LOAD FOR TWO.

(By Electric Telegraph.— Copyright.) (United Press Association.) (Received 9.25 a.in.) Sydney, December 30. A mysterious, robbery has been discovered at the Surrey Hills’ branch of the Bank of New South 'Wales, £2300 having been abstracted from the strong room. The branch had just been built' and had only been used for business for half a day, the 'authorities taking possession on rrxC * The robbery was discovered by the teller, who sleeps on the premises. He missed a portmanteau from his room last night, and during.the search found a packet of coppers m the back yard. Hurrying inside, he discovered the strongroom had been opened' and closed again. Nearly all tlie money it contained, except a feiv packets of coppers, had disappeared. The mystery arises from the fact that the. strongroom was fastened with a Chubb lock, which could only be opened by two keys, whereof the manager holds one and the telloi the other. . They locked the safe together on Saturday at 1.30 p.m., noting carefully that both keys were turned. The robbers, on closing the door, only turned the key corresponding to the teller’s thus leaving the- .safe halt locked. Four • hundred 'pounds of the missing money consists ot gold, £I2OO of silver, and a few pounds of copper, the balance being in notes —a heavy load for two. The. portmanteau would not carry it, and two bags at least must have been’ used. The irony of it all was. that the •bank’s back yard, through which it is ■ believed the thieves escaped, faces the Bourke street police barracks, wherein an army of constables is constantly training. The only solution suggested at present is that moulds of the locks must have been taken while the strongroom was being constructed. This happened recently in the case of. an important city building..