SAFE TAKEN FROM OFFICE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26117, 20 May 1950, Page 6

SAFE TAKEN FROM OFFICE

BUILDING ENTERED 12 TIMES IN 15 YEARS (New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH. May 19. Safe-blowers broke into the office of Tongariro Transport and Motors, Ltti., National Park, between midnight and 8 a.m. to-day and manhandled a small safe, presumably into a waiting car. The safe was discovered this afternoon by a transport driver, partly hidden on the side of a road six miles south of National Park.

The safe was recovered in an isolated part of the road. The door had been wrenched loose with a charge of explosive. Contents left by the thieves were strewn about. The thieves removed about £3O in cash, but left valuable documents, the property ot Mr L. C. Little, proprietor of the garage.

A heavy instrument was used to spring the padlock and the Yale lock on the front door, and the performance was repeated to gain entry into the office. As the thieves departed they pulled the tw’o doors shut and the building was locked up once again. The intruders apparently had eyes only for the safe. In the till which was partly open, were petrol coupons and a few pounds in money, while well hidden in another part of the room were* the remainder of the day’s takings.

This is not the first time the garage has been visited by an intruder. About 12 months ago an attempt was made to remove the safe. On the terminus of the Bulls-Te Kuiti and National Park-Turangi highways, the building has been broken into about 12 times in the last 15 years, while on five occasions motor vehicles have been removed by escapees from the IWaikune prison.