.MURDERED GEM-DEALER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 1350, 12 June 1907, Page 4

MURDERED GEM-DEALER.

WELL KNOWN IN NEW PLYMOUTH . The New. Ply mouth, people remember well the incident .of a .wholesale watchmaker's valuable samples falling into -the^seaat the breakwater, at Christmas time about fiye years ago. The traveller who, suffered that heavy loss was Me. Bernhard Bauer, who was brutally murdered in his office in Melbourne last week.. , „ At the time the ca*e of watches went overboard : sft the port Mr. Bauer was travaJ42dgJf€ir,B. .Mexert^d Co. It was on a Saturday night. He was leaving for Onehunga. He took his eight or temcaßea.ofvS»Bapteß:^Uawn to-tfee breakwater ob the mail $pain,. At the vessel's side no time was losfcT *" All but one of the packages were safely stowed. That one contained nothing but -watches. It was a sihall ease* -gut very.; heavy, and worth, with its contents, something morerthan,£looo. v Jft-^ 38 placed on top of a net-full of luggage — the last load. .A^^it^AS being swung over the side it dropped off, struck the --.wharf, and bounded inty ijhe ,water. The little German naturally became excited ; but there was nothing, to do but to go on to Onehunga with the remainder of bis go6ds. Next morning a diver went down and reclaimed the treasure. The Kttlesiip J33~said to4iave-costther Union Company ? a large amount for compensation. ■* '• ..Mr. Baueje afterwards found his duties too heavy for him. About two years 'ago he entered the 'wholesale jewel business, in wliich he was engaged at the time of his death. It was Ms custom of recent years to tarry with him a wallet containing gems worth anything over £2000. His murder is attributed to a desire to gain possession of that wallet. It was missing when he was found in his office. The late Mr. Bauer had many friends in New Plymouth, especially in the Jewish community. He. was exceedingly popular among business men, having a genial manner and an infectious laugh. He was in New Plymouth last Christmas.