ANOTHER SAFE RAIDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20422, 26 November 1929, Page 10

ANOTHER SAFE RAIDED.

CHRISTCHERCH BURGLARY.

SIXTH CRIME IN FORTNIGHT.

NOISE OF EXPLOSION HEARD.

EXPERT WORK OF THIEVES.

[BY TELEGRAPH- —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday.

Tho safe-blowers added another crime to their list during tho week-end, when they blew off tho strong-room door of tho Kiwi Dairy Company, at 222, St. Asaph Street, near Manchester Street, and secured a sum of about £3O. This makes their sixth crime within a fortnight, and so far they have secured about £390, including £358 in their first attempt, the raid on tho Paparua County Council s office.

The latest crime was discovered by the manager of tho Kiwi Dairy Company, Mr. L. Hansen, who, going back to his office to work last evening, found the strongroom door open. It is believed from tho evidenco available that the burglary was committed between midnight and 1 a.m. on Sunday.

It is not known how the gang gained an entrance to the premises. Thero are three doors to the place—tho main entrance and a big double door opening into the store in front, and a further entrance to tho store at tho rear—but none of these nor any of tho windows appears to have been touched. Probable Use of Key. It would appear that the burglars had a key which opened one of the doors, probably that of the store. Tho idea of a skeleton key is given weight by the fact that the premises of tho White Star Brewery, tho place where the gang last operated, also appeared to havo been opened with a key. Previous to that violence had been used.

The same brand of expertness marks the work of the robbers. Inside, the offices of the company, three in number, extend along the whole face of the building. The public office, where the strong room was situated, is connected with the store by a door. The burglars followed the same methods in this as in similar cases. The charge—a heavy one—was laid in the keyhole, which was then packed with paper. It is not known in this case how it was exploded, as the thieves did not appear to have interfered with any of the electric light or heating sockets.

The work was done very cleanly, and the office was not disturbed, as has been the case in previous burglaries. The packing was not quite as secure as usual, and the handle of the safe was blown through the glass partition of the office.

Great Force of Explosion, The great force of the explosion is further exemplified by the fact that the keyhole facing was blown through the open doors of the two offices and finished embedded in the wall of the office on the far side of the entrance lobby, 30ft. away. The thieves took the money from the box where it was kept and then decamped, leaving only the burst door, the broken glass, a pile of documents on the floor of the safe, and some fingerprints as evidence of their crime. The exact amount stolen is not being disclosed, but Mr. Hansen this morning that it was under £3O.

"It was a small day," he said, "so there was not a great deal left in the safe."

Captain L. F. Ward, of the Salvation Army, heard the crash of the explosion about 12.10 a.m. He was standing at the corner of Manchester and St. Asaph Streets, outside the People's Palace, when the explosion occurred, and having some experience of blasting knew at once it was gelignite. He called to two youths who were passing at the time, and asked them if they had heard the noise. They had heard it, they said, but did not know where it had come from. Captain Ward suggested to them that it might be the safeblowers, and that one of them, with himself, should keep an eye on the Kiwi Dairy Company's office, while the other telephoned to the police.

"They did not seem too keen, however," said Captain Ward this morning, "and so I let them go." Investigation by Police. Captain Ward went to the place himself and tried the front door, which, however, he found to be locked. There was no light showing and no movement inside, so he went back to the corner to watch for tho police, and to keep an eye on tho place at the same time. The Cafe Continental backs ou to the Kiwi Company's premises, and he inquired there if any noise had been heard. No one, however, had heard anything. He also stopped another man in Manchester Street., who said he had heard tho shot, but was not keen to investigate. At 12.35 a.m. ho saw two constables coming from the direction of the Clock Tower, and ran to meet them. Ho told them what he had heard, and they went to the place to seo if anything had happened. All tho doors were fastened, but they gained an entrance to tho store at tho rear. This was undisturbed. The door loading to tho offices was locked, and as tho constables wero not certain that anything had happened Ihero, they did not attempt to break in. They then left the premises, communicating with Mr. Hansen later in the day. "I kept a close watch 011 the place until tho police arrived," said Captain Ward, "and they must h.%vo taken their opportunity when I ran toward the officers. Either that or else they were hidden in tho place when tho police searched tho premises."