ATTEMPTS ON SAFES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21297, 26 September 1932, Page 10

ATTEMPTS ON SAFES

EXPLOSIVES AT TAKAPUNA BUTCHERS' SHOPS VISITED POLICE MAKE TWO ARRESTS # After two explosions, later found to have been attempts on the safes in butchers' shops, had been heard at Takapuna early on Saturday morning, two young men who had previously attracted tho attention of the police wero followed as suspects and latcv arrested.

The first attempt was made at 1.45 a.m. on the safe in the shop of the Auckland Meat Company, Limited, in Lake Road, where residents wero aroused by the sound of the detonation. Tho shop was entored by forcing the double-front glass doors and a chargo of gelignite was exploded in tho keyhole of tho safe, btft the charge failed to open the safe, jamming the lock. The shop is left lighted all night as the result of recent attempts on safes in tho company's other branches, and it is believed that the lights were extinguished before the attempt was made. Nothing else in tho shop was disturbed. Shortly after three o'clock residents near the branch of R. and W. Hellaby, Limited, at the corner of Hauraki Road and Jutland Road, about a quarter of a milo from the other shop, heard a similar explosion. Tho promises were also entered by forcing the front door, and tho safe was moved out of the ofiico toward tho middle of tho shop before tho chargo was fired. Tho attempt was also unsuccessful, the chargo failing to open the door. A small quantity of change was stolen from a till in the office.

Previously, at 1 a.m., Constable Butler, of Devonport, had noticed two men at tho telephone box in Victoria Road, Devonport, near the corner of Clarence Street and in the vicinity of the Devonport branch of R. and W. Hellaby, Limited. As their movements aroused his suspicions, ho determined to keep them under observation and watched them from a distance until ho was suddenly called away to deal with another matter. By tho time ho returned the two men had disappeared. Tho explosions at Takapuna were reported to the police, and Constable Maloney, of Takapuna, proceeded to Hauraki Road. There he received information from a resident that two men had been seen near the shop. A short time later he was joined by Constable Butler, who had been informed of the attempts. Finding that the description of the men given by tho resident indicated that they might be the men he had observed in Devonport, Constabl6 Butler obtained a motor-car and returned to Devonport, as he suspected that the men would attempt to cross the harbour to the city.

After making a search of Devonport without finding a trace of the men he went to tho ferry launch steps and saw the men whom he had previously noticed in Devonport. After making sure that they departed for the city on tho launch ho communicated with tho Queen's Wharf polico and the launch was met on arrival, the men being detained. They were later taken to tho detective office, and after further inquiries were placed under arrest.

The men will appear in tho Police Court this morning. The police are now making further inquiries into ,1 case oC attempted safe-blowing at Pukekoho on Thursday night.