SAFE BLOWERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 175, 11 May 1929, Page 3

SAFE BLOWERS

TWO ATTEMPTS AT AUCKLAND. THE THIEVES FRUSTRATED. (Special to the "Guardian.") AUCKLAND, May 10. Two city safes were blown with gelignite last night, but the schemes of the burglars in both attempts were frustrated, for after the explosion the locks jammed. Alter stealing a ladder the thieves got down a loft concrete wall at the back of the jam factory owned by Thompson Hills, in Nelson Street, climbed through a narrow opening in a steel-framed window and made a survey of the scene of action. They put a charge of gelignite in the keyhole of the safe in the storeroom, but its solid door withstood .the concussion. A further attempt was made to get into the office, but the heavy steel sliding doors kept the burglars out. There were two other safes in the office, but the total sum of money m fall three safes in the premises did not amount to more than a few shillings. So powerful was the charge used on the small safe in the office of the jam factory of Irvine and Stevenson, in Hepburn Street, that the locks and framework of the door were completely shattered. Fortunately for the owners the charge blew outwards instead of inwards, and the locks jammed. The perpetrators forced a heavy padlock on the sliding door from the street and had little trouble in getting to work on the safe. It is possible that a few tins of jam were stolen, but nothing else was missing, and even if the thieves had been successful in opening the safes they would have got very little for their pains r for neither firm keeps big money in its safes.