GANG OF BURGLARS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12357, 29 January 1926, Page 6

GANG OF BURGLARS

EXTENSIVE ACTIVITIES BOUSES SET ON FIRE \ DETECTIVES’ EXCITING EXPERIENCE. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, January 28. Five burglaries, two of which were followed by fires, occurred in the city last night. All the premises were temporarily unoccupied at the time, and in two places l the owners were absent from Christchurch. The burglaries took place at the following residences:— A. L. Tucker, 180, Salisbury street. House burned. Mrs Allen, 180, Kilmore street. J. X. C. Stott, 271, Cambridge terrace. House burned. Mrs M. Pyne, 396, Durham street. Mrs E. Scott, 410, Durham street. At 6.16 p.m. a passer noticed the fire at Tucker’s five-roomed bungalow, and after the arrival of the brigade and the extinguishing of the fire, it was discovered the place had been broken into. About 7 o’clock, while the detectives were investigating at. Tucker’e, they were advised of another burglary, a block away. , In this place an entrance had been gained at the rear, through a window. A large picture had been deliberately smashed. An overmantel, and another window had also been smashed. While here Detective-Sergeant Young discovered a house at the back to be afire. He leaped a fence and it had also been burgled. While here the detectives were told of' a further burglary at Payne’s place, where £4 10s had been stolen. A few minutes later the detectives were informed that Johnston’s house, four doors away, had been entered, but that nothing was missing. In addition to the burglaries, a motor-cycle apd side-car were stolen from Wordsworth street, Sydenham. A gang has been operating in all the cases, the detectives think.