SAFE-BREAKERS.

Auckland Star, Issue 111, 13 May 1935, Page 8

SAFE-BREAKERS.

WEEK-END JOB.

LEGAL OFFICE MYSTERY

STRONGROOM FORCED OFFN

Mysteriously entering a five-storeyed buildiiiT in the legal area of the city during the week-end, and just as mysteriously gaining entrance to a suite of offices occupied by a firm of barristers and solicitors, without leaving any traces showing how entrance was effected, burglars were unsuccessful in blowing open the safe with gelignite.

Everything in the building appeared to be in order this morning when clerk* arrived. The front door of the building was not damaged, while the solicitors' main oilice door 011 the first floor was securely locked. The only thing to arouse the suspicion of a junior clerk was that the padlock was not in its usual position 011 the strongroom door. This was found lying 011 the flour. It had been broken oil'.

Opening the strongroom door, which the intruders had left closed, lie discovered that the safe was lyinc 011 its side, the door being considerably damaged as the result of a charge of gelignite which had been exploded in the keyhole. The explosion shattered the door, which failed to open, and the services of a locksmith had to be obtained to remove it.

The safe contained numerous documents, including debentures worth several thousand pound*, but 110 cash, this being banked by the firm each day. However, had the burglars timed their visit a week earlier and succeeded in opening the safe, they would have secured a valuable haul of jewellery belonging to a client of the firm. One of the principals removed this to a bank onlv lant week.

There is no doubt that the larTe safe was the object of the burglars' visit, its another smaller safe in one of the partner'.* rooms was not touched. None of the drawers in the ofllce was opened. The whole oflice was left tidy, and the burglars, when they took their departure, closed the main door behind them.

The safe upon which they worked wan removed from the main olliee to the strongroom, where the charge of t'clignite was inserted and lire:!. Meanwhile the detectives assigned to investigate the matter are puzzled, as there are no clues to suggest how the buiglais entered tlie building and the ollices without forcing the doors.