DARING ROBBERIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12910, 5 July 1905, Page 5

DARING ROBBERIES.

TWO SAFES RANSACKED. BURGLAR USES EXPLOSIVES. [by telegraph. —own correspondent.] Dtinedin, Tuesday. A daring and successfully executed robbery was carried out some time between, midnight and five o'clock this morning. The burglary was effected with the same, caution and absence of bungling as characterised the recent Mosgiel one. The Burkes and Ravensbourne stations were the places rifled, preaumably as likely to contain, considerable quantities of money, takings of the day, etc. flie total money taken amounted to the comparatively small sum of £11 odd. It appears that the Burkes station was closed by the stationmastei', Robert Morgan, a* a quarter-past twelve this morning. A few hours later (a-quarter to six) his assistant, J. A. Arthur, found the front door open and tlio sate open. About £3 5s 6d was taken, mostly in silver and coppers, the only gold being two half-sovereigns. There was also taken a small locked leather bag. - About 100 yards from the station, along the line, a cash-box containing pens and pencils, and . a cash block from the cash drawer, was found, while close by 5s worth of coppers, wrapped. in paper, were discovered. The stationmastei', who slept only some 60 yards or 70 yards from the station, heard 110 noise /hiring the night. The detective's examination chows that an entrance was effected by •the front door, apparently with a' key, and (the safe had then been blown open with some explosives. A piece of the fuse was found close at hand. '

At Ravensboume the same tactics had (been followed. The sale, here was built on concrete, and had been operated in the same manner. William Murray, the stationmaster, secured the windows and doors of the station, and locket?, the safe, which contained the day's takings (further secured in, a leather bag), before retiring at half-past twelve a.m. There was then £7 6s'3d within the saw in the form of a' pound note and silver. At half-past fivo a.m., John Mackenzie, a porter, found the station safe doors open, and at once communicated with the police. A surfaceman named Jonn Brough states that while walking his usual length this morning, he found, about aquarter of a mile from the station, by the side of the line, a leather bag and the small iron box stolen from the safe. The money iacl all been abstracted.