BURIED LOOT

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1931, Page 11

BURIED LOOT

FOUND IN SANDHILLS ROBBERY DISCOVERED. Sydney, Feb. 0. In a remarkable manner a hitherto undiscovered robbery, from a Sydney insurance office was revealed at the week-end. Trainess of the Australian Field Artillery, were currying out active service manoeuvres in desolate sandy scrub country on the shores of Botany Bay, when the wheel of one pf the ammunition wagons sank in the sand up to the hubs. Pick and shovels were brought up and the trainess proceeded to dig oqt the wagon. Whilst they were engaged in this task, they came across a cash box which had apparently been buried some weeks, and on prizing it open, they discovered in it £35 in cash and a bundle of cheques, made payable to an insurance company in Sydney for more than £3OO. . . , ' Tin spot where the wagon became stuck wqs one which would not, in all t probability, have been traversed again by any vehicle for a hundred years. It was only by the most amazing, coincidence that the wagon-wheel became stuck in that particular spot in the wide area in which training operations were being carried but. Investigation later showed that the cash box was pne which had been locked f away in the strong room of the insurance company pending certain negotiations for sale. The ? company bad amalgamated with others, and the cash box was part of the property of one of the companies concerned in the amalgamation. Police are now inquiring into the circumstances of how it was taken from the safe and buriedJn the sandhijls where it was found. . , •