HOUSE-BREAKING IN PONSONBY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9401, 6 January 1894, Page 5

HOUSE-BREAKING IN PONSONBY.

. ■•■ .! ■in <> vi I. I«i I*, ,u , HousBHOLrKRs generally, and more especially those who lire in the suburbs, who find ib necessary times to leave their premises without any occupant, should take Care to leave every thing as secure as possible, for it seems that the house-breaker is once more abroad, having made his appearance in the I'onsonby district. Ib appears that on Tuesday last, January 2, . Mr. James Coe (of the firm of Patterson and Coe) went out with bis wife to spend the holiday, leaving his house, situated in Shelly Beach Road, as he believed, securely closed up. His movements had been apparently watched by sOme criminally disposed person or persons, by -; whom the promises were forced open and entered in his absence. On returning home Mr. Coe very , soon dis- . covered that things ; were nob, as he had lefb them. Drawers had been overhauled, and the contents of several boxes ransacked ; while there were other unmistakable " signs thab some unwelcome intruder had been in the house whilst he was away. Mr. Coe at once made an examination of the place to see if anything of value had been stolen, and as a result found that a watch and 4 some other articles ,of value were missing. There is reason <to believe that the perpetrator of the robbery had been on the lookoub in the neighbourhood (or those houses which had been left locked up whilst the residents enjoyed the holiday for another building which had been left by all the occupants but a servant girl was approached on the same day, bub the man I made off upon finding that there was an ! inmate. The matter is atpredentin the hands of the police, but as yet the crime has not been | brought home to the perpetrator or perpetrators. Families should take warning i from the experience of Mr. Coe.