MORE GELIGNITE

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19786, 26 November 1929, Page 11

MORE GELIGNITE

STRONG ROOM DOOR BLOWN OPBM. ABOUT ft© MlSSlMbipbbt tHißvre m WOKS. Tb. MMt daring «* -U''.'"gT of the recant saria. of swa>»s»»« ing robbatlan «• tantot ""*.. m the office of tka Kiwlßttey ®**T pany. 222 St. Ami* eaxae*. a* »»*"» t«n minute* paa* miaaigW •» ■*■* urday. cash to tha total ▼**»• •* about £2O being taken. The crime is attended t*y et«c»«nstances which point to eiaberaU planning and forethought on tht par* ** the thieves. Not only dii they eh*«a» a time for the explosion when *»•- stables were out of the vicinity. *>»* they managed to g« ""» without leaving any traces visible as the outside which would justify * aeftMb, of the premises later on. when !■• »■»• r ioions of Captain L. F. Ward, a* the Salvation Army, had Wen arons** In fact, those responsible for the r<*berv showed a thorough knowledge wf the habits of members of the irs, a good acquaintance with tht habita e* the policeman on beat, and—ae nana*--a useful knowledge of the suave •*■ gelignite for opening a etrc-ag-reaaß door One of the moat striking tact* about the robbery is that the eaplasion took place in a avail »»•*■ a** jaeent to the footpath, with a laifa Window at the top opening »at» th» street. The noise mmt have beta ee»» siderable. Taking »*<> »«•*■* *■* **** that the office is in St. Asaph attaat. just off Manchester street, the aaflast was one of considerable daring. Mr L. Hansen, managing diraator of the company, visited the oatoa at abnat a quarter to nine on Saturday •▼awing. The opinion baa baem aivaaseeel that the thief or thieves say paaaikly have entered after him. and kieWaa until Mr Hansen left the «•*• aaaa* twenty minutes later. Thin wa«M account for the fact that tfcara a» a* marks of forced entry anywhere «a th« building. Prom the baek, naw»*»f, it appears that it would ba ■• dinsealt matter to get into the dairy factory and thence into the office. Big Charge Uaed. Once inside the office the tfctovto found keys in tha nnloekad draws** •* the manager's desk. These ware fonad Iving on the floor near the a*rewa*-raaa* door when the robbery had been di*e««ered. It is thonght that the tnWve* first tried all the keys on the Soeked door, but finding none to open s'. resorted to the use of gelignite. A fairly large quantity of the explosive »*» used, and the effects of the dtrtea* tion Were more severe than n*u»t. Tha lock was put completely out of eoasmission, and both front aad ba«-k —e» pecially the baek—ef the strong-roe* door were bulged outwards. Fl>i»g fragments broke two panels of translucent glass on the opposite aide of »•* room; and the keyhole eover, a slip ef metal, was blown through *»o i<p+n doors, a distance of about 55 rWt. coming to rest firmly en bedded is a plaster wall. When the safe had beea er-en*d, lb* contents of the strong-room w*r* »«?•- mitted to a painstaking ex»tmi«***<•*. and only immediately negotiable »<i>*vi* were taken. Cheque* arid of h-r were discarded and were four.(J *i * l: * floor. A surprising fact is that eb* noise «f the explosion was . le*r:v b**'4 by several people, the police w*re n«? :» the vicinity until about tweat' jnnar-** later, and even then, it is state*. Hf investigation did not extend to tkr i* side of the building. There »*re ** open doors, however, and tisev were •■* an awkward position sa the absent* «f information which was direct aad *»«• lute. The Continental Cafe, which *» Manchester street, barks m tc > rtgh* of way lined with brkk w*Us l*t«»i from St. Asaph street- Tit* *!?***■ room which was opened baek* ps -& « passage-way at one point. Tr- lx?-£-and well-equipped kitchen of t*e ctiis between the passage way a-*d *."*■* dining-room, which is *r<=ra M»tchester street. Basvness was h-i-tt. ** the time of the explostoa. and ts# p«<s* prietor was too oeeapied :• iarestigato after he had heard the !*»sd d**" %v™* If he had been free, there is a «-S»-**» that the robbers might have b*ea rang**. Police Make I*a»*eta*a. The Salvation Aia-y ■ - P«»}-i-*'* ?*' ace" Hotel is aear the eor-e- s* Mj«»chester and St. Asarh str»»t» **i4 Captain "Ward, who wss sraadiag •» '* A footpath outside the entrance, he*r>i *** explosion at about ten asianfe* past stanight. Although two boys in the vw ity thought that the soi** had e»* ?>-♦*« a jeweller's shop on *he eor«#» »■«■. tain Ward judged that it had t->m* ;■»» the Dairy Company's oreausea. H« rode over to the building oa hta p«v rNi and tried the door, wfcisa was Vv,*/d. There was no nnise or lig*t in t>* pr*-* After having gone rcaa* tti tse v *r« entrance in Bath s f re»*. he ft-'w«"s.ed t* Manchester street on the S<*ek sat f«r a constable. He did not dar»- t-» *»i--phone for the police in r*** th* ;*!«■»•• got away during his «!)*tf«. About a quarter o' a-. *-'♦: •»• saw two policemen ac-i ' x>k t3»«a» *• the place. Thev t»..-d »K* f--. s ir da«" again, but it was sm-1 li-csac i —* was flashed in thrftush "" *: ■'■•* nothing seemed to r-e *a--*» T- - e * into the premises by a '= *■ - *- ■" '■ ' but the door leading ir,m the <***e w*» loeked. Coming: tn the ( ■«■ '• * >» there was nobody ins:»l». tr.e •*-*.- '■*'* the premises. The robbery was d'.s s. .<■--*•! > V- **t. Dawson, manager of the d*iry *•'-:- -•. who went down to the fr* 1 * «< ■* ■ • ■ night on Sunday in «-■**■- *> *• - ' -' things ware arranged for as w*' "•*•* in the morning. Er.t»m« »-r t l -' *.~'» > door, he immediately not iff,l *;•« *-»k*glass and the hand)* of * w * *'--■-• -"■•-« door lying in the *.-■*!ibuie -t r-- -9 . Overaoming a aattirai E»sita----. * went into the office art ma *u*l ** dence of the crime. Ther- wc* - - itusual smeM in the r.S"*. i".-* "' he guessed that tfce *■*'. ' = %■■» l»lace some considerable t.w* •■-*- ' ' -t He then got into *"i;'h T-r*."« •*:«-' - It is understood thxt »J* -.- ■ * %-• -. possession of the u«a*' *"-.--< .': -i-JT finger-prints, .-s-d '?»'«"■" "' ,r " s taken in addittoa.