EPIDEMIC OF BURGLARIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 132, 21 May 1912, Page 6

EPIDEMIC OF BURGLARIES.

THE AUCKLAND BOOM. Auckland, May 2f. From enquiries made by a "New Zealand Herald " representative it seems that Auckland is being favoured with the attentions of some highly skilled ‘ cracksmen.” who have mapped oat an ambitious pro gramme. On Thursday night the building of Messrs. Crawford and Hoald. sewing machine dealers, at the corner of Well ■■s'ey am! Albert streets, was enter.d :;..d .; >ii..'d! electrical engraving machine wm: stolen. Entry was gained by a window at the rear of the pr. tn’ses. and although there were ctLer articles of value in the shop, the machine, which is only worth about £2 lO -, was the only article stolen. The thief or thieves even overlooked 2.in an open till. Asked as to why this comparatively valueless machine should have been the only article removed. Mr. (.’rawford, on? of the partners of the firm, advancer! rather a startling theory. He said that the little machine was the only one of its kind ; in Auckland, and it had been lying on the bench in front of the window, where it could be seen by anyone j passing. Though the machine stolen could only be used for engraving a larger model would make a very deadly drill, and Mr. Crawford said he thought that seeing the machine through the window the thief had conceived the idea of stealing it for the purpose of constructing a larger model to use as a drill to open a safe. He added that he had heard from an authoritative source that other places in the city had been broken into and electrical fittings or very small intrinsic value stolen. He instanced that in one case a building was entered and an electric fun was taken carefully to pieces m ord* r that the thieves might obtain part of it, possibly for future use in the construction of a machine which, if they tried to purchase it, would entail awkward questions being asked. A machine of the type stolen would be very difficult to dispose of as pawnbrokers would give nothing for it. and if intruders were seeking to enrich themselves a valuable camera on a shelf in the shop could have been taken ard easily disposed of. Should there be anything in Mr. Crawford's theory it would appear as though a burglar gang were making highly expert preparations for extensive hauls. POLICE VIGILANCE ELUDED. Auckland. May 20. Once mere has the wily burglar eluded th? vigilance of the police, this time in- the very heart of the city. Some tin.e between the hour of closing oa Saturday night and yesterday inormrg the shop of Mr. W. H. Dawson, chemist, of Queen street, was entered and a sum of about £l5 in cash, together with several bottles of perfume were carried off. This makes about the sixteenth attempt at burglary in the city and suburbs of Auckland uithin the past two months without the offenders having been brov.gnt to book.