The Press., 1898-07-21
IROBBING GOLD SHIPS
A DIFFICULT TASK OFTEN SUCCESS
FULLY ACCOMPLISHED.

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The Australian Coast the FavOrite Field
For These Daring Feats of burglary.
Some of the More Notable TheRts That
Have Taken Place.
Several times in each year Australian
newspapers announce the departure TO
England or San Francisco Of vessels
CARRYING hundreds of thousands Of
pounds value in gold. In 1896 the three
colonies of Queen Stand, New South
Wales and Victoria sent away over $40,
600, 900.
It is not a matter Of surprise that
such announcements excite the cupidiCy
of a section of the community or that
from time to time attempts are made to
surreptitiously lay hands on some por-
tion of the seductive treasure.
Robbing a ships safe on the Austria
liam coast is now conducted with the
same silent and thoughtful deliberation
as is the solving of a difficult chess
problem. The first thing the rifler sets
his heart upon is how to get the key.
The theory, and indeed the general prac-
tice, is that the captain checks the boxes
as they are stored in the bullion room,
locks the door when the transaction Is
complete, and, sleeping or waking, car
ries the key in leather pouch around
his neck till he unlocks the door at the
end of the voyage.
But theory and practice are often set
aside. In the Tararua case, at Mel
bourne, in 1880, when $40, 900 worth
of gold bars were stolen, the police dis
covered that two keys, either of which
opened the bullion room, used to hang
against the wall in the public bar. It
was also discovered that one of these
keys mysteriously disappeared IL months
before the robbery and that no serious
investigation was then made into the
loss, nor was any alteration made in
the lock of the bullion room.
This Tararua was running between
New Zealand and Australia and had
shipped boxes of gold at various ports.
Altogether she was supposed to carry
II boxes. On arriving at Melbourne it
was found that one of these boxes was
missing. Examination showed that some
one had simply opened the door with a
key, extracted the box and locked the
door again.
The robbery from the Iberia, which
| left Melbourne for London in March,
1889, is supposed to have been also eff
fected by means of key surreptitiously
procured. In that case the robbery was
not discovered till the arrival of the
vessel in London.
The robbery from the China develop
ed in remarkable way. Here the ORR
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board coast steamer called the Avoca.
AT Melbourne the gold was transship-
ped to the China. The China touched
at Adelaide and other ports, but it was
only at Gale the discovery of the rob-
berry was made. Detectives operated on
all the ports simultaneously, but no.
where could clew be found. The
amount missing was the usual $40, 900.
In 1878 a man named Weiberg, who
had been a carpenter on the China, took
up selection in the interior of Victo-
ria. Before settling down he married q
Melbourne barmaid and appears to have
confided to her some shady particulars
of his past history. The Samson and
Delilah story was in part repeated, and
the public laid themselves out to watch
Weiberg. The upshot was the arrest OF
the man as the safe rifler of the China.
One thousand sovereigns were found
in a tin of fat stored away by him in
Melbourne. In his hut was discovered
a wooden plane stuffed with gold. The
wood was followed out and the gold
dropped in. In the hut was also disoov'
cred bar of soap containing 200 sover'
eigns
He told the detectives that he had
1900 sovereigns concealed on his selec.
tion and offered if they accompanied
him to point out where the booty lay.
AS may be surmised, he fooled the po
lice into wild, thick timbered region,
took them suddenly off guard and made
his escape. He was recaptured, howev.
or, some months later.
The mystery Of the Iberia was cleared
up in still more singular manner One
day two boys playing at Williamstown
saw a mouse run into hole under the
platform of the railway pier. One OF
the boys started to dig the mouse out
with a stick and to his surprise un.
earthed ma of sovereigns. The Pc
lice were informed, and before the day
was out 8, 742 sovereigns were recovered.
The recovery of the Aredale gold was
more satisfactory as far as amount il
concerned. For nearly two years the
police labored in vain. The mystery
might never have been cleared up but
for an accident. A wharf Jumper fish
ing at Nelson pier, where the AredalG
had been berthed, hooked on to some
thing which excited his curiosity. OBJ
tanning assistance, the Jumper succeed
ed in bringing to the surface the miss
ing box, with its treasure intact. The
robber had evidently sunk the box, in
tending to return for it when opportu
nifty offered. bers' Journal.
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