A very extensive and important robbery was effected on Monday evening at the premises of Mr Schmidt, the jeweller and watchmaker in Boorowa street, while himself and family were away at the Public School concert.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was Mr Schmidt's custom, after closing the shop, to put most of the valuable of the stock away in an iron safe, but this evening as it was early, about eight o'clock, and he expected to be back in a short time, he contented himself with putting away a portion of the stock, intending as usual to make everything right before retiring to rest.
He omission, however, cost him dear, for on returning at about ten o'clock he found the shop door ajar, and after looking around him discovered at once that thieves had visited the place, and possessed themselves of a large quantity of valuable booty.
The little cases that had contained, bracelets, brooches and other articles of jewellery were scattered about, minus their contents, showing that the thieves had taken some little trouble to make their swag as valuable as possible in a small compass.
The door lock is one of the common kind of rim locks, about which ought to be used on the door of premises where so much valuable property is kept.
This the thieves who evidently acted under some rearranged plan, must have known, as there was no appearance of a forcible entry having been attempted, the lock, having been undone by a key, of which there would be no difficulty in procuring one to fit ,or picked- the former appears most probable.
Notwithstanding the early hour at which the robbery was committed, was not at all unpropitious for such a depredation as most of the townsfolk had gone to the concert and there were but few people about the streets.
The Albion Hotel ,which adjoins the premises on one side, was of course open, but with the exception of this, all the other places near were closed.
Mr Armstrong's druggist shop, the last to close, having done so at about a quarter tonine. The loss cannot be ascertained at present, but Mr. Schmidt estimates .it at not less than £300.
The police have we believe, a suspicion as to the guilty parties, but the particulars are, for obvious reasons, withheld. Some petty pilfering were also perpetrated on the same night, but at what hour is not precisely known.
Some linen which was hanging out was stolen from the lines in the parsonage grounds, and also from the residence of Mr Bennett.
- This article was sourced from the Wagga Wagga Advertiser and Riverine Reporter, Wednesday 4 June 1873.