SAFE BLOWN OF

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11705, 18 December 1923, Page 7

SAFE BLOWN OF

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE ATTEMPTED BURGLARY AT CHRISTCHURCH. BIG CHARGE OF GELIGNITE USED. Ppr Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, December 17. Shortly before nine o’clock on Saturday night, the premises of Owen’s, Ltd., tailors, Colombo street, were burglariously entered and the safe damaged with an over-charge of gelignite. The explosion was heard at a considerable distance, and a large crowd collected outside the shop. The attemptat burglary failed, nothing being taken from the premises. The outrage was apparently committed by one -man. He was most daring in his methods. The theftof collected at the Pilgrims’ Fete in the Botanic Gardens on Saturday, which the burglar probably thought were lodged in Owen’s safe, was the motive for the crime. Considerable cunning, as well as daring, was shown by the burglar. Apparently he watched Mr Owen’s movements closely, and timed his entry when he knew Owen was unlikely to return, nnd also when thepolice patrols were changing over. The entry was effected through a window in Owen’s private office, which overlooks a yard at the rear of the premises. The burglar obtained a coU-ple of small packing cases from the back of a grocery premises to get over the fence from the right-of-way into Owen’s backyard. The window was opened by breaking the glass just about the catch. The safe was kept underneath Owen’s desk. This was knocked over by the burglar, and the safe dragged out and placed on the floor, with the door upwards. A strong charge of gelignite, considerably more than was necessary, was then placed in the keyhole of the safe, and the fuss ret. After lighting the fuse the burglar seems to have left the shop by the front door, which was afterwards found to he unfastened, and to have gone across the road to await developments. The explosion, however, made such a terrific noise that he decided, not to return to the shop, and made his eaoape unnoticed. Had the burglar been m Owen’s office when the explosion occurred he would either have been killed or injured. The effect of the explosion was. to Farce the inside lining of the door into the safe, thus making it secure. The money in the safe was intact. A halfptiak of gelignite was found on the floor near the safe. The occupants of the residential flats over the shop had a terrifying experience. SAFE-DYNAMITERS OPERATIONS IN AUCKLAND TWO “BREAKS” LAST WEEK. Within the past three months there have been at least four, burglaries which have been characterised by the blowing open of office safes . with gelignite charges (writes the “Times” correspondent). The safe in the office of Parkinson Bros., monumental ■ masons, in Victoria street, was the first to be attacked, and a week or two back the safe in the Glen afton Collieries office, in Eden terrace., was shattered, but in neither case did the operators get much for their trouble. As a matter of fact, the explosion in the latter case attracted thie attention of residents, and the burglars had to make a hurried exit to escape capture. Two more safes suffered damalge again last week. That at the office of the New Zealand Bacon Factory, in Stanley street, was blown open on Tuesday night, and on Thursday night the safe in the office of Kelly and Rattray’s boot factory, in Belgium street, was shattered. At neither place did the burglars make any haul worth whale.