BURGLAR AT ROTORUA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22695, 6 April 1937, Page 10

BURGLAR AT ROTORUA

MANY BEDROOMS VISITED SUMS OF MONEY . STOLEN [by telegraph—own correspondent] ROTORTJA, Monday > For the past six weeks a series of thefts from private houses and boarding. houses in Rotorua has been causing some concern. It is supposed that one person has been responsible in all cases. The thief has shown a preference for fcedrooms, where* he has devoted attention to articles of clothing, removing money from the pockets. The aggregate amount stolen continues to mount. Twice the intruder has been disturbed in boarding houses and accounted for his'presence by stating that he had mistaken the room. On Friday night or early on Saturday morning the thief entered the bedroom of -a residence in Fenton Street and removed a pair of trousers, from which

he stole £lO, and on Saturday night,

when a resident of Eruera Street re- * turned home, he found that he could not open his own back door. On investigating he'* discovered that the house had been turned upside down, his arrival, havin°; apparently disturbed t'.'e thief in the act of taking a meal on ' the kitchen table. The intruder, had

taken down a tin of pineapple and a bottle of mineral water and placed them on the table, apparently preparatory to refreshing himself, but when , interrupted he beat a retreat through the front door.

On the same night a residence in Railway Avenue was entered and the sum of £2 10s stolen from clothing. The largest theft reported is one of £65, which took place a fortnight ago when the safe of a motor garage was broken open. It is not believed, however, that this burglary was the work of the same man, who apparently prefers to confine his activities to robbing bedrooms. he has taken only cash, and this has increased the difficulty of detection.