DAMAGE BY INTRUDERS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 156, 29 March 1938, Page 13

DAMAGE BY INTRUDERS

Auckland Cabinet-Making Factory By Telegraph—Press Association. "Auckland, March 28. Apparently thoroughly disappointed in their search for money, thieves who broke into cabinet-making premises at 6 Douglas Street, Ponsonby, owned by Mr. J. H. McLean, either late Sunday night or early this morning set about ruthlessly to destroy stock in the premises and to execute other considerable wanton damage. A dozen expensive wireless cabinets, valued at approximately £5O, ‘were badly smashed in many places smeared liberally and roughly with thick black polish and then thrown on the floors in all parts of the building. Employees were engaged throughout to-day in attempting to restore the cabinets to something like their former value. It was feared at the end of the day, however, that many would have to be discarded as total losses. z Having thus vented their ire, the intruders then apparently set about to do as much other damage as possible. A valuable store of first-aid equipment was taken bodily from a shelf and the contents, after being torn and smashed, shared the fate of the wireless cabinets. Yards of bandages were found on the floors, containers were broken and many ointments and lotions rendered useless. Various other articles were thrown into confusion on the floors, but a large store of tools escaped the attentions of the marauders,