EXTENSIVE BURGLARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 126, 30 May 1887, Page 8

EXTENSIVE BURGLARY.

Goodsott'3 Arcade Entered.-£350 Worth of jewellery Stoleil.

A bold and. successful burglary came to light yesterday morning. The premises in Queen-street occupied by Ml1 C. W. Gqodson as a fancy goods warehouse, and known as the London Arcade, wore found to have been forcibly entered from the rear either late on Saturday nightor early on Sunday morning and the southern show window and adjoining showcases stripped of their contents-about £350 worth Of jewellery. A large galvanised iron shed open to the yard extends along tho back of Mr Goodson's premises and those of Mr W. J. ; Bull adjoining, and it seems that about 11 o'clock yesterday morning a young man namedThomas Goodwin, omployed by Mr Bull, was engaged in this shod, cleaning buggy harness when ho noticed that a square hole had been cut in Mr Goodson'a back door. Tho circumstance was suspicious, and Mr Goodwin at once acquainted Mr Bull with it, tho result being that both men proceeded without delay to tho police station and gave information of the affair to Detective Tuohy. This oth'cor at once hurried to tho premises, and found that tho suspicions of his informants wero Woll grounded. The place boro every trace of having been broken into, and tho stock of jewellery had disappeared from tho shop. Tho detective telephoned to tho North Shoro for Mr Goodson, but aa it appeared ho had ceased to reside in that district, a messenger was despatched to George - street, Ponsonby, for hid shopman, Mi- P. Wholan, who arrived soon afterwards. Detoctivo Walker also joined Dotoctivo Tuohy, and tho two officers mado a thorough examination of tho premises. They found that tho burglars mufet havo scaled a seven-feels high galvanised iron gate, adjoining tho Lornc-streeb Hall. Once in the yard the shed already referred to was open to them, and tho packing room ab the rear of Mr Goodson's shop would appear to havo then been unlocked by means of a skeleton koy. Tho door, ho\ve\ or, was also fastened on jtho insido Avith a wooden bar of 3 x 2 quartering fixing into a mortice hole in one jamb <_f the door and dropping into au iron cleat on tho other jamb, at tho same time falling also into a similar iron cluat on tho back of the door. A square holo was cut through tho door from the outside, by boring nino holes with an inch and a half bit, after which tho hand of tho operator had ovidently been inserted in tho opening for the purpose of lifting tho bar, which would then permit of the door being opened. Tho presumed burglar must havo been well acquainted with tho exact position of tho bar inside, for if he had bored three inches higher up, tho bit would huvo entered tho bat- itself. After gaining entrance in the manner just indicated, tho thief had to open a trap-door in tho Iloor of tho loit, which affords aceoss by a flight of stops to the shop below, for the Lorno-strect level is about 20 feet higher thai! tho Queon-streot level. This trap do6r was fastened with a staplo and hasp and padlock on tho lower, side and fitted with a framo running round all its edges, thus presenting no hold for his hand to pull it up. A few holes wore bored in this trap-door with tho bit previously used and something in tho nature of a lover insorted which toro the door away from tho transverse slot that held the staple and lock, leaving tho slot against the opening. Access tliua gained, the intruder reached tho Queen-street shop by two steep flights of laddor-liko stops. Tho .gas was left burning in tho shop by Mr Goodson at one jet near tho southern window fronting Queen-street when he locked up the shop at 9.30 o'clock on Saturday night, and it was still alight when Detective Tuohy entered the shop at 11..'50 on Sunday. This southern window has not outside shutters and contained behind it nothing but jewellery, all of which had disappeared. Tho northern window contained only stationery, toys, etc., and these articles had not been tampered with. Tho fjlass of tho showcase on tho counter bclind the southern window was broken and all the jewellery contained in it (a cheaper let than that placed in tho windows) had also gone. Two cush boxes, which held a quantity of mixed cash, had apparently been overlooked by the robbers, as they wero found untouched ; and the safe, winch contained both money and jewellery, was also intact. A further search of the window from which the bulk of the stolen goods was taken resulted in the finding of two silver rings and a greenstone pendant, besides two valuable gold rings, which wero found in 'their cases in the usual place at the back of tho window. In the shop was likewise found a lantern rudely constructed by cutting a circular hole in a square mustard tin, and placing a candle inside. This waa probably used only, for giving light while the entry was ' being efiected, as the loft or packing-room at tho back is very dark even in the daytime, while the gas in the shop is always kept burning all night so that the constable on duty may see that all is right within the shop as he paces his beat. This precaution was adopted upon Superentendent Thomson's advice after the committal of a previous robbery on Mr Goodson's premises, then lower down the street.

Mr Goodaon arrived ab tho shop at 2.30 o'clock on Sunday. He stated that he had passed down Queen-street near 10 o'clock that morning for the purpose of coming over to the North Shore to attend a religious service there. Ho walked down on the western side of Queen-street and did nob look over towards his shop. On re-! turning^ however, at 12.30 he passed tho shop, and' then saw that the southern window was. stripped of its contents. Ho hastened on1 in alarm to his residence in Grafton Road for the shop keys, and then brought thorn down to tho Police Station. Ho supplies' the • following list of the jewellery stolen, which includes tho prinsipal articles missing:—3 gonts' S.Hf watches, 1 lady's B.H. Geneva, 5 gold Albert chains, 3 gold sets - brooches and earrings set with Alaska diamonds; 10 colonial gold sets - brooches and earrings, 3 gold sets of studs, 6 gold sets of studs,' 36 gold wedding rings, 10 ladies' gold dress - rings, gents' 9 carat gold rings set with Alaska diamonds; 24 ladies' gold fancy rings, 15 carat, set with stones; 6 gents.' gold rings, 9 carat; 2 diggers' gold rings, 15 carat, 12 gents': gold rings, 15 carat; 1 ring, 15 carat, set with turquoises ; 12 gold lockets ;| silver' alberts, necklets, lockets, bangles,, brooches and earrings ; 6 boxes of tents' silver ririgs, .12 in each ; 36 silver' racelets ; gents' sets of silver studs, silver solitaires, silver earrings. Total value about £350. "

Mr Goodson left his shop at 9.30 o'clock on Saturday night and the premises were closed up an hour later by the son of the proprietor, Mr Harry Goodson, being, the last person to leave. Detective Walker passed the shop at 1 o'clock on Sunday morning and spoke to Sergeant Lyons and. Constable Kelso. Nothing then had at-1 tracted notice in connection with it.

The burglars must have been well-posted up as to the position of things inside theshop, and the exact manner in which the doors were fastened. Their provision of the hide lantern shows a fore knowledge of the dark loft and steep stairs whichhad to. be traversed before reaching the gas-lighted shop, and the auger indicatesa correctapprohension of how the'back door was fastened. It seems strange, however, that the shop, could be rifled without the suspicions of the« constable on duty being aroused. As allusion has been made to a previousl burglary on Mr Goodson's premises, it may. not pc amiss to supply the brief facts. On,

the morning of Monday May 12, 1885, Mr Goodson's Arcade, then situated at the opposite corner of Victoria and Queen streets from the Greyhound Hotel, was found to have been entered during the night, and gold , jewellery to the value of about LSOO carried off. The silver jewellery was left untouched. No trace was left behind and the conclusion arrived at was that either the robbers effected an entrance by means of skeleton keys, or were hidde onn tho premises when they wero closed at 10.30 p.m. on the previous Saturday.