BURGLARS FOILED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 224, 21 September 1932, Page 9

BURGLARS FOILED.

SAFEBREAKERS ACTIVE.

TWO ATTEMPTS LAST NIGHT.

, damage by explosives.

railway station and store,

Safe-blowers were active in the suburbs last night, but their efforts did not meet with success.

Be,ile and Company's branch store at -•the corner of Sandringliam Road and Burnley Terrace, Sandringliam, and the booking office of the Green Lane railway station were both entered, gelignite ibeing used on the safes at each place. It is thought that the operators were amateurs rather than skilled cracksmen. as in each case the explosion merely shattered, the locking mechanism, and thev were unable to open the doors nf the safes. Last night's visit to Bcale and Company's store was tile second within two months. On the first occasion the burglars smashed a side window and ■ v unsuccessfully attempted to blow the safe. Last night entrance was gained by forcing the front door with a jemmy, two good patent locks and a strong bolt being prised open. The large safe was situated in the office at the rear of the shop. It was taken to the middle of the floor, where a charge of gelignite was packed into the keyhole with a detonator and fuse attached. The charge exploded violently, the burnt powder and pieces of fuse and putty making a mess in the office. It was evident that the explosive had been badly packed, otherwise the safe would have been opened. It was badly damaged, and will have to be taken to a locksmith's to be drilled open before a new locking device is fitted. Nothing was stolen from the shop. Railway Station Visited. Again, at the Green Lane railway station, the burglars were foiled. After trying to enter by lifting two windows in the booking office, they forccd the catch of another window by inserting a jemmy, damaging the woodwork. The safe is embedded in concrete and is not movable. Here the safeblowers used the stationruaster's coat to place o.ver the door of the safe before firing the charge, so as to deaden the explosion. Beyond burning two or three holes in the coat and blackening it with powder, no damage was done, except to the lock of the safe. This was shattered, and the burglars found it impossible to get th 6 door open. It took two locksmiths nearly two hours this morning to repair the damaged lock. The booking office was locked up at 5 o'clock last night. At 5.20 this morning the driver of a locomotive noticed the main door wide open. "Even if they had succeeded in blowing open tile safe they would have been disappointed, as we never keep any money overnight now," said the stationmaster. "On several previous occasions attempts have been made •to blow the same safe. About three years .ago. it/was blown open, when, a " .-'sum ofTmoney w-as' st"olen>" .... "'"7." '; Another Attempt Fails. •'On Monday night burglars tried to break into the luggage room of the Penrose railway station. A jemmy was used .on, the doors .and windows, but entrance was not gained. It is thought that the thieves were disturbed while at work.