BURGLARS TAKE SILK.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1924, Page 5

BURGLARS TAKE SILK.

A THOUSAND POUNDS’ WORTH. ONLY THE BEST REMOVED. Thieves visited the premises of City Fashions, Ltd., in Liverpool Street, Sydney, during a recent week-end, and stole goods valued a t £lOOO. The robbery apparently was carefully planned beforehand by men who were good judges of silks. Only the best were removed, the cheaper goods being neglected.

Entry was gained at the back of the premises, from a narrow thoroughfare. The thieves forced an entrance to some empty premises, until recently occupied by a firm of furniture manufacturers, and, making their way across the ground floor of the building, came out upon a light area, overlooked, about 10ft. above, by a back window of City Fashions, Ltd. The alarm w«u then cut, and the window forced.

Once inside the thieves cropped the shop to where a window overlooked an air shaft at the rear of Sargent’s, Ltd., Liverpool Street, commandeered ladders, and placed them outside the window by which they had entered, to assist their operations. Outside, in Clarke Street, a car waited to carry away the booty. The thieves then commenced work, using stockings, from which they had cut the feet, as gloves, to prevent finger prints. The wardrobes were cleared of 250 summer frocks. The hosiery shelves were visited, and each box, examined, 60 dozen pairs of the best quality being removed. Once, by mistake, some inferior stockings were taken to the exit, but, poticing his mistake, the person who carried them threw them away in evident disgust.

Everything was done in orderly manner, and as each box was emptied the cover was replaced, and it was neatly stacked with the other empties. Underskirts, coatees, and jumpers were also removed, but the millinery was not touched. When the thieves eventually departed they left few signs of confusion to show that the place had been stripped. Insurance covered about onehalf of the loss.