SHOPS BURGLED

Grey River Argus, 26 March 1928, Page 5

SHOPS BURGLED

A PECULIAR ROBBERY Smart Work by Police LEADS TO QUICK ARREST. At 3,30 o’clock ou Saturday morning the discovery was made that the shop of Mr Walter Scott and Coy., Ironmongers, Mackay Street, had b-Cii broken, into. Entrance had been .effected from the rear portion of the roof where a skylight had been broken and the thief had lowered himself into the premises by a rope which had evidently been tied to the centre bar of lhe skylight. His exit, was made by a ladder, which was found lying under the {skylight. The left-hand show window, containing a quantity of tools was broken, and a circular hole about 15 inches in diameter having been made, apparently by the use of a fish plate which was found inside? the window, the extent of damage Caused by the breakage of the window is £l5. When Mr Scott was notified by the police as to the robbery, he came down to the shop where he found that a number of chisels, screwdrivers and small tools were littering the floor. No money had been taken, and the office had not been entered, indicating that the en trance had been effected for the purpose of stealing tools. A light upon the thief’s objective in stealing tools only, was thrown latei* when Jt was discovered that the premises of Mr J. Deere, tobacconist, Mawhera Quay, had been broken into, and cash amounting to about £B. and also some stock, principally cigarettes of the more expensive variety, had been taken.

Entrance had been effected through the back door of the building, from which a panel had been removed with the aid of a brace and bit. Holes had been bored at the top and bottom of the panel, and the panel then broken in fill an opening, sufficietly large to* enable the thief to open the door from the inside, was made. The use of the tools in making the opening suggested that the thief or thieves were identical with those who had broken into Scott and Coy’s for the ]»urpose of gaining the means for effecting an entrance into Deere’s. A SMART ARREST.

At 4 o'clock on Saturday morning Sergeant Smyth and Constable Crowley set out in a search for the thief. A few hours later after enquiries had boon made at various sources, a youpg man. who gave his name as Sydney Gordon was arrested. Tho young man who had in his possession a brace and bit. thp bit corresponding to the holes made in the panel of the floor at Deere’s promises, after some questioning aflmittofl the thefts. The man, who is a stranger to the district, is well set up and over 6 feet ln<Ai and is 19 years of age. It i* believed, however, hv tfi6 police, that the name riven hv him is a fictitious one. On Saturday afternoon the ec evsofl an n earpfl before Mr J. W. Shal crass J.P. and was remand efl until Monday April 2. The smart work of the two police ofßoialji Ferpteanh Smyfli anfl stable Crowley in affecting an hi so short a perioil is a matter for congratulation. % e Tt is unfleTstonfl that fhr -naioritv of the stolen goods hr>*<*! be-m re covered.