ANOTHER BURGLARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 143, 18 June 1910, Page 5

ANOTHER BURGLARY.

MEAT COMPANY'S PREMISE 3 ENTERED. A HUMOROUS INCIDENT* Two members of the burgling fraternity had a narrow escape of arrest last night, and the story has a humorous side. About midnight, Mr. Hall Skelton, solicitor,,was passing the premises of the Auckland Meat Company on Dominion-road on his •way home, when he noticed two men ia the shop. Never thinking of burglars in a shop so open to the street, i and having some knowledge of the men employed, he regarded the occurrence as merely the subject of a passing joke. "Here, you fellows," he said,, lifting his pipe case, and presenting it as ifi* ■were a revolver, "what are you doing here at this time of the night ? Hold your hands up, or I'll blow your brains out. Give mc your names instantiy." ! "Oh, my name is 'Cox'," said one of the two men; and "Cox" being the name of the foreman, as Mr. Skelton knew, Mr. Skelton jocularly remarked that their behaviour was very suspicious, wished them good-night, and passed on. .".'." This morning, having again occasion to pass the Meat Company's shop, Mr. Skelton stopped and commenced to chaff Mr. Cox about his narrow escape from arrest last night. | ( Why, what do you know about it I" said Mr.. Cox; and then the whole un-. fortunate story came out. The two men accosted by Mr. Skelton were real burglars. The premises had been entered from the back", a window having been broken and some crockery on a table smashed, while the safe was foundf to have been forced open. Tne safe, however, contained meat, and it ■was evidentr Iy not meat the midnight visitors -were after, so they probably made good their escape directly Mr. Skelton passed on, thanking their lucky stars for such a narrow escape.