SHIRT FACTORY ROOBED

Evening Star, Issue 23029, 6 August 1938, Page 21

SHIRT FACTORY ROOBED

£IOO WORTH SECURED [Peb United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Aug. 5. Shirts, blouses, and pyjamas valued at between £75 and £IOO. a number of important documents, and several sums of money belonging to the firm and its employees were removed by thieves who entered the factory of the Selwyn Shirt Manufacturing Companv in Grey’s avenue early this morning. After making a careful selection of the most valuable lines of stock, the intruders combed both floors in a search for money and other valuables. Entrance was gained by smashing a window facing a lane at the side of the building, one man being apparently cut by jagged glass left in the frame when he jumped into the room. From neatly-pacKed stoc on the ground floor the thieves made a choice of the most expensive shirts, and an attempt to force the front door from the inside followed. The double lock resisted their efforts, however, and they were forced to remove their large haul through the narrow window which had afforded them an entrance Conducting a thorough search ot the office, the intruders rifled a des;i and decamped with £1 9s lid whicn had been left overnight ; i a till. A box containing 5s of union subscriptions, and another tin in which a woman employee had placed a collection of threepences, vyere emptied. A gold watch and chain with a case containing three gold sovereigns were, however. o”crlooked. From an unlocked safe the thieves removed seve-

ral including a will and property deeds. Four dozen pairs of silk pyjamas which were to have been delivered under contract to a city firm, and 1H women’s blouses were also taken from the stock on the upper floor. In quantity the amount of stock that was stolen was regarded as almost sufficient to set up a retail clothing business.

The premises wore inspected by the firm’s caretaker at 11 o’clock on Thursday night. The ownership of the factory changed hands last Monday, and for this reason an insurance policy against burglary which had been held for nine years had been allowed to lapse a few weeks ago.