ROBBERY AT POST OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20875, 18 May 1931, Page 8

ROBBERY AT POST OFFICE.

SAFE BLOWN OPEN. RESIDENTS HEAR EXPLOSIONS. [from our. own correspondent.] ■; HAMILTON. Sunday. A daring robbery took place at What awhata, about eight miles from Hamilton, late on Friday evening, when thieves blew open the safe at the post oflice and stole £5 13s 4d. When the postmistress. Miss R. Clarke, who lives about two miles away, arrived yesterday morning to open the office, she found the back door open and the interior of the building in great disorder. Tlio safe was shattered by the explosion and papers were scattered round the room, while much of tho furnishings were wrecked. Damage to the extent of £SO was done. Money orders and stamps in the safe had not been removed. 1 lie post office, which is a small detached wooden building, about 40yds. from the nearest dwelling, was locked by Miss Clarke at 5 p.m., tho usual hour, on Friday. Before leaving she locked tho safe. Hie burglars evidently had some difficulty in opening the safe. Residents in tho vicinity heard a loud explosion at about 10.30 p.m. Another resident heard a further explosion at about 11 o'clock, followed by the noise of a motor-car moving away. The loud explosions caused some surprise in the township, but no one investigated. When detectives arrived from Hamilton yesterday morning they found that the telephone wire leading into tho office had bocn cut from the outside.