ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 165, 14 July 1902, Page 5

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.

HAITIAN'S WAREHOUSE BROKEN

INTO.

A BOLD SCHEME FRUSTRATED,

■tor the • second time within six' months Messrs. P. Hayman & Co.'s warehouse in Customs-street East has been the unsuccessful objective of a gang of burglars, an attempt to enter the premises having been frustrated on Saturday night. While Constable William Skinner was on his beat on Saturday night at about halfpast twelve he passed along the road leading from Queen-street, along- the back of the railway station, to Com-merce-street. On the top of the wall at the rear of Hayman's warehouse yard, which runs through to the station road, the constable noticed an object which he 'at first took to be a cat. Wishing to satisfy himself that 'all was right, he walked towards the I wall, when he noticed a man's head bob up, and then vanish again. The constable immediately ran into Queen street, where he obtained the assistance of three other policemen, but when the place had been surrounded and a search was made, it was found that the midnight marauders had made a hurried exeunt, the sentinel on the wall having evidently given his confederates timely notice to quit. The escape had evidently been made by the men climbing the division wall into Gilmore & Co.'s yard next door, and then making their way into Commerce-street, this being evidenced by the fact that the lock on Gilmore's gate had been broken off. ■Mr. L. D. Benjamin, one of the proprietors, was telephoned for, and on his arrival an investigation was made. This revealed the fact that the thieves had carefully planned their robbery, but,- as is so often the case, carelessness in a matter of detail completely nullified the whole affair, the appearance of the head of the looker-out above the wall giving the "job away," to use the colloquialism of the profession. The gang had been careful to provide themselves with a good selection of house-breaking tools, and were prepared for all emergencies. They made a start on the back floor, from which they cut a panel, b\it this attempt tc enter proved a vain one, the door being sheathed with iron. This sheathing had been added subsequent to the previous attempt to enter the warehouse, all the doors being sheathed with iron, and the windows iron-shuttered. Finding the difficulty insurmountable, the thieves tried an--1 other place, with better luck, and .were evidently on the high road to success when they were so mdelj r interrupted. They forced the upright iron bars out of the concrete iedg- ! ings, and after breaking out the window glass and sash, had tried the persuasive eloquence of a lifting jack on the iron shutters. This forced the shutters completely >off their hinges, and gave free entrance to the building, but just at this critical moment the policeman came along, and the gang had to scatter. They evidently intended to make an endeavour to enter the strong room, where the firm stocks several thousand pounds' worth of jewellery. The tools intended to be used were scattered round the open window, the following being taken possession of by the police: Two timber jacks, a steel drill, a drill and eight bits, a brace and three bits, a screw wrench, two cold chisels, three other chisels, a tenon saw, two lock saws, two steel saws, a turn screw, a sledge hammer, a doubleended pickaxe, a railway lamji, two long crowbars, two pieces of chain, a table knife, an oil can, a bottle of oil, a ball of twine, a coil of rope, two empty sacks. two candles, a jar of blasting powder, two small piping rollers, and a newspaper. Most iof these have recently been stolen from the tramway construction works. The police and detective forces are now making further investigations. A number of well-knovvu criminals have recently been discharged from gaol, or have come back to the city after long absences, and U is evident that this is the work of some of thewe.