DARING BURGLARY

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 71, 24 March 1936, Page 12

DARING BURGLARY

HOTEL SAFE STOLEN. HOLES JSRILLED IN DOOR. SUSPECT UNDER ARREST. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) ROTORUA, this day. A daring burglary was carried out on the premises of ■ the Waiotapu Hotel during the early hours of yesterday morning when the office cafe, containing approximately £100 in cash and a quantity of jewellery valued at the same figure, was removed bodily without disturbing any of the several persons sleeping on the premises. Entrance was effected by boring ■a. circle of holes in the panelling of a side door and then knocking out a portion of the wood so that the door could be unlocked from inside. People were about in the hotel until a comparatively late hour, making it definite that the burglary could not have been committed until early in the morning. A car was heard outside during the night, but no attention was paid to this as it was thought that it probably belonged® to some passing traveller. Marks, of a car and some footprints were found on the road outside the door which was broken open, suggesting that the car was driven right up to the building. ' The burglary was discovered by the licensee, Mr. H. Hewitt, later in the morning and the Rotorua police were informed. As a result of inquiries made by Constables Brown and Roberts during "the day a young man living in the neighbourhood was arrested and will be eliarged in connection with the offence. The "safe has not yet been recovered.