CEMETERY VANDALS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 149, 20 December 1929, Page 10

CEMETERY VANDALS

A MELBOURNE RAID

£600 DAMAGE

[From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 12th December. Spasmodic acts of vandalism which ye occurred in the Melbourne Genal Cemetery within the last few years ached a climax the other night when systematic raid was made on nearly 0 graves, and damage estimated at itween £500 and £600 was caused, le vandals, who judging by their otmarks danced on the graves, warmly smashed about 100 glass wreaths 1 the graves and broke 50 marble urns i the monuments. Some of the urns at were on the monuments, costing 300 and £400, were smashed into to or three pieces. Plants were also pulled up from the ayes, some of which had only reintly been attended to by expert irdeners a); a great expense to the retives. Marble quartz on the graves id been picked up by the vandals and irown at the monuments, and the reaths and scores of monuments were roken. Even graves which had obviisly not been attended to for years ere marked out for desecration by the ing, solitary glass wreaths that had ;en sunk into the ground being broken > pieces. Most of the destruction was )no over a large area in one corner of le cemetery—that furthest away from le main entrance. It is thought that the destruction as the work of either youths of the rrikin element or maniacs. Those relonsible had evidently made their lans well beforehand, and had armed lemselves with heavy bars. They aincd admittance to the cemetery by leaking several iron bars of the fence ad then squeezing through the openig. They worked systematically irough the rows of graves, and they allowed a wide asphalt path for some istance leading to the valuable mouutents which were singled out for paricularly vicious treatment. Pieces of iie broken urns were thrown at some £ the graves, and a broken pickle ottlo that had been hurled at one lonument was found at the foot of it. Officials of the cemetery, who were reatly concerned at the incident, imlediately sought the aid of the police, rho were informed that the vandals ad been causing trouble in the cemeery for years. It was not uncommon or iron railings to be found broken rom the fence. The mob element in he park close to the cemetery is paricularly strong. They are anirresponiblo lot who stop at nothing in order o secure the; class of "fun" which nost appeals to them, such as the deseiration of graves and the tormenting of he tennis players who have courts in tn adjacent park. These tennis players vere attacked one night not long ago >y a senseless mob armed with fence )alings. On that occasion it is said ;hat they fired some- shots —just by vay of a joke.