BULLION FOR U.S.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20276, 10 April 1934, Page 5

BULLION FOR U.S.

How Station Crowds Were Hoaxed. . GAME OP HIDE-AND-SEEK. (Special to the ** Star.**) LONDON, March 4. While detectives and armed watchers kept a strict vigil recently over a lew boxes of bullion destined for America, the real treasure, worth over £1,000,000, was finding its wav to Greenock unnoticed and practically unguarded. Attended by an air of extreme secrecy and an armed guard, a number of wooden boxes arrived in an unlighted van in the Central Station, Glasgow, from London. Those who had wormed out bv devious means the secret of the bullion’s arrival considered that they were viewing close on £2,000,000 worth of gold as the boxes were lifted out of the steel van. But they were deluded. They were only viewing a small proportion of the bullion. The balance—ll 9 cases—was finding its way by a night train Greenockward, while policemen and detectives played a little game of hide-and-seek with possible bandits through the streets of Glasgow with a “ mere bagatelle ” of bullion. That was how bullion valued at £1,650,000 was safely shipped on the Anchor liner Caledonia, which sailed with the gold for New York. Bullion worth £2,000,000 was loaded Linder an armed guard into the strong room of the Laurentic, which sailed the same day for America from Liverpool. Boxes containing £1,000,000 worth of the gold were brought over from France by air.