Robbery at Cork jewellers... raiders made off with £25 watches

AT about 9.30am today, three armed men entered the premises of Hilser & Sons, jewellers, on South Main Street, demanding two dozen watches, the Echo reported 100 years ago today, on Saturday, February 24, 1923.

They then concealed their revolvers and stood back from the counter to allow normal business to proceed.

Somebody, however, must have got suspicious for the military at the Courthouse were quickly alerted and gave chase as the robbers made off with wristlet watches to the value of £25.

 Two were pursued down the North Main Street, dodging in and around the lanes before being lost at North Gate Bridge. The third ran into Liberty Street, doubled down at the Courthouse and turned into James Street, running hard all the time.

The two officers in pursuit fired and it is believed the robber was hit in the shoulder.

The chase continued up Washington Street, through Woods Street, back down Sheares Street then across the network of lanes near the Mercy Hospital where he was lost.

Rebuilding of Cork

At Cork Corporation’s meeting yesterday, John Horgan and Jeremiah Kelleher reported on their visit to Dublin in relation to funds for the rebuilding of Cork.

They said that in one case, that of a defended decree, the funds for rebuilding had already been allocated and there is money for stock only. In the other cases they were told the money for rebuilding is available and has been for some time.

But in order to ensure that the destroyed premises would be rebuilt, it would not be paid out until architects’ certificates were produced. Technically, the affected merchants were right in saying they had not got any money, but it was available whenever they were ready to start. A vote of thanks was accorded to the deputation and to Robert Day, Cork Labour T.D.

District Sessions

Michael O’Driscoll, of Carrignavar, was charged with having, on February 20, caused grievous bodily harm to a child named John Naughton by knocking him down with a pony and trap on the Watercourse Road.

Detective Quinn deposed that the injured boy was in the North Infirmary and his life was not yet out of danger.

Mr Dunlea, solicitor for the defendant, applied for bail. He said, when the case would be gone into, it would be found that there was a grave error of judgement regarding identification. Defendant was a respectable farmer who never took a drink in his life.

Wireless hopes

Postmaster General and Cork T.D., J.J. Walsh, spoke at length to the press in Dublin yesterday. “I am frequently asked about broadcasting”, he said, “when are we going to start in the Free State? Well, as I have made clear before, all wireless developments are suspended because of the military situation. When that clears up, we hope to have our scheme ready for immediate introduction.

“But a matter of far greater concern than the satisfaction of a fad like broadcasting is the introduction of electrical manufacturing in Ireland. We are one of the few countries where practically no electrical appliances are made, yet increasingly such appliances are appearing in every street, office and house. It is difficult to give an idea how much money is leaving the country in this regard.”

Pertaining to other matters, Mr Walsh said many people seemed to think 5.30pm was the last opportunity to make the night mail. But this is not so. An extra ½d stamp gives an additional hour for posting.

There is also the possibility of express delivery whereby an item can be collected and delivered wholly or partially by special messenger.

If you are a telephone subscriber, you can even telephone your message to the Post Office for immediate delivery from there. If not a subscriber, you can still dictate a message or letter from a Telephone Call Office to another Office to be sent as an express or as an ordinary letter.

Telephone subscribers themselves are linked to one another and can get in touch readily, but any member of the public can use a Telephone Call Office.

Many people are also unaware of the option of private post boxes, available for an annual charge and offering great utility for businesses. They are made much use of in America.

Pre-war Price Breakfasts

The egg-packers’ strike has been a blessing! Pre-war prices have returned to the egg baskets in the shops and all that is now required for the reintroduction of the 1914 breakfast is a refusal by the Saxon to consume Irish bacon. A thing highly unlikely.

But at least farmers and egg producers are learning that, to reap advantages from their occupations, they must learn to market their produce themselves.

Now, on account of the strike, eggs may be got from country folk almost for the collecting.

If the dispute will bring home to them the vital necessity of combining to market their goods themselves it will have accrued another advantage.