Explosions Wreck Cafes In Wellington

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28536, 15 March 1958, Page 12

Explosions Wreck Cafes In Wellington

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 14. Criminals operating in the centre of Wellington tonight set off two bombs— possibly

of gelignite—which wrecked two cafes and startled shoping crowds up to half a mile away.

By a miracle no-one was killed. A waitress in one cafe —Miss Dorothy Me J arrow—was taken to hospital, where she was reported tonight to be in no danger.

Police were immediately reinforced and squad cars began a night-long patrol of the entire sity area. Late tonight, detectives under Detective-Sergeant W. A. Baker were still trying to find out how the explosions had occurred and what type of explosive had been used. The first explosion occurred in Bond street, just east of Farish street, when the windows of the Hot Dog cafe and those in nearby buildings were blown otit. At 1C o’clock, while police were still searching the Hot Dog and making inquiries, another terrific explosion rocked Upper Willis street. Bystanders saw glass and timber flying as the frontage of the St. George cafe was shattered. The explosion in the StGeorge came after a telephoned threat to another restauranteur. No-cne was injured in the second explosion, which also blew a large hole in the footpath outside. At the time of the explosions the streets were crowded and the explosions alarmed many people. Shoppers from as far away as Cuba street rushed to see what had happened when the first blast was heard. As they arrived, ambulances and police cars roared into Farish street to find the Hot Dog a scene of destruction.. The cafe’s plate glass windows were shattered by the blast, and a door was torn from its hinges. Windows in the warehouse above were smashed in. Glass and lumps of

timber were hurled over tables and scattered on the counter and the floor.

The explosion shattered most of the windows in the nearby fourstorey Lombard buildings, and glass was scattered for 100 yards along Farish and Bond streets. The area was immediately cordoned off by police. Police said it appeared gelignite had been used. People who arrived soon after both blasts noted the same pungent smell of explosive and light bluish smoke. “The windows fell inwards, and the whole building creaked and swayed,” said Miss Lee, a waitress in the St. George. Mr Kam Pin Fong, the owner of the St. George, was serving customers at the time. He did not notice anyone lurking in the alleyway, and, like Miss Lee, saw no-one running away. A part-owner of the Regent Cafe, and a resident on the premises of the St. George Cafe, Mr Robert Lee told the police he had received a telephone call at the Regent cafe at 9.30. The caller said that if he “didn’t watch out he was going to get an explosion like the Hot Dog.” • “I didn’t recognise the voice,” Mr Lee said. “I don’t think it sounded like a New Zealander.” Soon after, he was telephoned from the St. George Cafe and told of the explosion. The Regent Cafe is in Manners street. Man Detained By Police “The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, March 15. At 12.30 a.m. today, a man was detained at the Wellington central police station, for questioning in connexion with last night’s bombexplosions in the heart of the city. He was still being questioned at an early hour this morning.