SAFE BLOWN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 302, 22 December 1941, Page 6

SAFE BLOWN

TWO OTHERS OPENED

LARGE SUM OF MONEY TAKEN

Safeblowers forced their way into the premises of R. W. Gallaugher, Limited, in Victoria Street West, last night, and from the safe, the door of which they blew open with gelignite, stole a considerable sum of money. Two safes in the office of the Murray Shoe Company, 28, Crummer R&id, Grey Lynn, were opened without the aid of explosives, but no money was stolen.

The manner in which the safeblowers opened the large safe in R. W. Gal laugher's premises would suggest that the operators were experts. The lining of the door, which contained the locking mechanism, was cleanly blown off, enabling the door to be easily pulled open. The burglars took only cash, leaving cheques, postal notes and other identifiable documents scattered about the office floor. Nearby residents heard a loud explosion at 11.30 o'clock last night. On four previous occasions unsuccessful attempts had been made by burglars to blow open the same safe. After forcing open the front door of the office of the Murray Shoe ! Company, 28,.Crummer Road, Grey Lynn, last night, burglars entered and, although they opened two safes, got nothing for their trouble. The burglars forced open a drawer from which they took the keys -of the two safes, but found no money in either.

"Profiting from previous experience, for we have had several visits from burglars, we never leave money in our safes," said the manager of the firm this morning. "However, they took away with them a small cash box, which contained only documents and papers of no value to the thieves. They also took the keys of both safes," he added. 'So far as we can ascertain, nothing was stolen from our office."