CHANGE OF SCENE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 226, 24 September 1927, Page 11

CHANGE OF SCENE.

BURGLARS AT TITIRANGI. POST OFFICE AND STORE. MAIL MATTER RANSACKED. BIG HAUL OF TOBACCO. Auckland's busy burglars, for tht nonce, have forsaken the busy city and suburbs, where there ia a prospect of; shopkeepers waiting for uninvited visitors with a life preserver, and have selected a new locality for investigation. During the night a visit was paid to Mr. W. A. Bishop's place at Titirangi, which is a combined kiosk, store and post office, and quite a haul was made, besides a great deai of damage being done to the premises. Mr. Bishop has been ill for the past four or five weeks, and although it had been the habit for either he or his father to sleep on the premises in turn, since Mr. Bishop's indisposition the place has not been constantly guarded at night. Thus the burglars were last night able to work at their leisure. "The first indication I had that anything untoward had happened was when I went to the store this morning," said Mr. Bishop over the 'phone to a "Star ,, reporter. "I live about 300 yards away from the store and did not hear anything during the night. This morning I found that the door leading into the dining room of the kiosk had been smashed in, one side having been completely torn away. On going inside I discovered that the thieves had burst open everything that was locked up and had completely ransacked the place. They took my entire stock of cigarettes and tobacco, including £5 worth of new stock that I had not opened. After taking the tobacco they threw the empty cartons on the floor. The sum of £2 10/ in money was stolen from the till. Every letter waiting to be delivered was opened and the envelopes thrown on the floor, while £2 worth of stamps were also stolen. In all, the burglars' haul was worth £30, made up of money and goods." It is not unusual for motor cars to visit the locality at night time, but nothing wae heard last night.