BURGLARY AND FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21201, 6 June 1932, Page 8

BURGLARY AND FIRE.

THIEVES IN WAREHOUSE. PREMISES RANSACKED. MILKMAN'S TIMELY DISCOVERY. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] "VVANGANTO. Sunday. The Wanganui Central Firo Brigade, answering a call to a firo in the branch warehouse of Bing, Harris and Company early this morning found that tho premises had been ransacked by thieves. Tho discovery leads to a belief that the premises were set on firo deliberately.

The thieves made a good haul, and apparently went through the premises at leisure, removing ladies' evening frocks, gloves, overcoats, cardigans, handbags, tobacco pouches, wallets, razors and blades, pipes and electric torches. The goods were packed in several of the best leather suitcases, and were probably removed in a motor vehicle.

The shelves of the warehouse, which is of two storeys, were thoroughly ransacked. Cardboard boxes were opened, and if the goods within were not satisfactory from the thieves' point of view they were discarded.

A milkman who was passing the premises at 5.45 a.m. saw a dim light and smoke. Ho called the brigade, which found tho front door unlocked. Tho fire had a good hold. The ground floor counter nearest the front door was totally destroyed and tho blazo had spread to tho flooring boards. Tho firo was suppressed in 10 minutes, the damage by fire being confined to a small area. The damage by water was not great, but the smoke and heat affected the stocks on both floors considerably.