BURGLED TWICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 78, 2 April 1923, Page 3

BURGLED TWICE.

A SAFE BIiOWN OPEN. j CHTK.-U.'K AT ISLAND BAY. The following details ~f the safe robbery al Island flay, already briefly reported, arc from the "Dominion" o*f Saturday: — On U'ednosday last, tit midnight, several neighbours beard two explosions from the direction of Mr. Ernest Brown's sli(.|i nt the corner of Dec Street and tlie Parade. Island Bay. On Thursday morning, ns Mr. Krown opened the door of his shop, a strange sight greeted him. Wet sucks, which had evidently 'been used to (leaden the sound of the" explosion, were strew-i over the floor, a tin of salmon had fallen into a caw of eggi, and the door of a strong safe had boon blown to pieces. On examination it wns found that the damage had been caused by an explosion of gelignite. During the explosion a small piccr „f "oli.-rnite had become detached from the main charge, and bad fallen against two drawers at the bottom nf the safe, causing the second and slighter -explosion and shattering the drawers. A cash-box in the safe was sadly shattered. The books were considerably damaged, but sonic valuable papers were found intact. About t:io in cash and seven sovereigns were stolen, but nothing obe is missing. Apparently the gelignite was obtained from a magazine at Lyall Bay, as a n'hure there was broken into on the same night and gelignite and a fuse were stolen unci the place ransacked. About n month ago the shop was broken into and about £30 worth of goods and some loose cash were stolen, but the »afo was not disturbed. <'n tlie first occasion entrance was obtained through the back door leading to llip shop, hut this was afterwards made too strong to hurst open. On Wednesday night the lavatory door adjoining the other one was broken down and the partition between the lavatory and the shop was broken down to open tlie way to the safe. Mr. Brown left the shop at 5.30 on Wednesday afternoon, and saw every - thing «us safe, lie is a returned soldier. who -au three years' service at the front nn,l received nine wounds.