SAFES BLOWN OPEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20131, 17 December 1928, Page 13

SAFES BLOWN OPEN.

ACTIVITY OF BURGLARS.

DARING THEFT AT PONSONBY.

STRONGROOM DOOR WRECKED. Using gelignite in a manner suggesting they were experienced at the work burglars wrecked the strong room door in the premises of the Hydra Bacon Factory, College Hill, Ponsonby, early on Saturday morning, and then blew open a small safe with similar explosive. Because the gelignite forced the heavy steel door of the strong room inward, instead of outward, so that the door became wedged in the strong room, the thieves were thwarted in their attempt to reach the money in the room.

Having failed in this the safe-blowers directed their attention to a small safe in the cashier's office. This they wrecked with explosives and stole the £3O contained in it.

With a large Ragged hole near the lock the door of the strong room was badly buckled. It had beeri v blown inward with such force that it had to be levered out. The door of the safe in the cashier's office was open. Books and papers were littered about the floor, while pieces of putty were stuck tp the walls, floor, books and furniture. Pieces of steel had penetrated thick ledgers, so great was the force of the explosions.

Entrance had apparently been gained through a door in the rear of the premises where building operations are going on. The discovery was not made until the employees went to work on Saturday morning. The explosions were heard by residents in the vicinity, but no significance was attached to them.