BURGLARS' "PLANT."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13762, 29 May 1908, Page 8

BURGLARS' "PLANT."

DISCOVERY IN WELLINGTON. A GANG of burglars who have been operating in : Wellington for some time past have reason to complain of the action of the City Council in ordering the renumbering of the streets (says the New Zealand Times). They are not yet in custody, but the profit of many nights of breathless stealth has been lost'to them, all through the confusion caused by the renumbering of houses. Having reconnoitred the city and discovered it to be a good business centre, the gang seems to have decided upon the bold course of renting, or, at any rale, taking possession of a large furnished house in a street with a Maori name in one of the best, residential quarters 'of the city. This served as a convenient base of operations, and also as a depot for plunder until the time was opportune for disposing of it or decamping. Let us call this No. 47, under the new numbering, because it is not. The other night a young lady, an inmate of a house at. the other end of the same street, heard footsteps in the narrow passageway leading to the yard at the back of the house. Becoming suspicious, she made investigations, and saw the forms, of men carrying burdens, and groping their way by the aid of lights. She reported the matter to her father, who poohpoohed the idea, and passed it off. On another occasion the same thing occurred, and hearing a lock turned the young lady was determined to have the tiling investigated, and pluckily went clown to the police station about midnight and reported the occurrence. Two constables accompanied her back to , the locality, but they saw no traces of the men. It seemed that the men did not know the locality too well, but were following somebody's directions. And to some bright mind engaged in the investigation a clue presented itself. What was the number of this house before the City Council carried out the renumbering? "47!" Here was a thread to be followed. The other "47," with the new number painted on the gate, was visited and searched. It is stated that sufficient evidence was available in the drawing-room alone to establish the case, a considerable quantity of plate, cutlery, etc.. being discovered on a couch 'and in the piano.