EXPERT BURGLARS IN WELLINGTON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18753, 5 January 1923, Page 2

EXPERT BURGLARS IN WELLINGTON

CRACKSMEN’S OUTFIT STOLEN. ELECTRIC DRILL FOUND. From Our Own Correspondent.) , WELLINGTON, January 4. Recently an electric drill was stolon from a local manufacturers’ agent here, and the police came to the conclusion that it had been taken by a cracksman with a view to its use on safes in city business promises. The fact of the theft was made) known, and on Tuesday the drill, which is worth £33, was found along with other burglar’s tools hidden among some gas pipes in the local gas company’s yard. Included in tho “find” was an excellent specimen of a “jemmy,” 4ft 6in in length, and made of liin steel (useful for prising open doors and windows), two bits for mi electric drill, a pair of scissors, lock and keys, a piece of candle, and some other burgling appnr. tonances. In addition, there was also found about 30 or 40 yards of insulated cable for connecting the drill with an ordinary electric. light socket. The cable was of tho kind employed in the reticulation of ships, and it is assumed that it was stolen either from a vessel or from a marine outfitting stpre. Not knowing that a drill had been stolon until the fact was published, the Gas Company’s workmen did not notify the police of their discovery until the forenoon of yesterday. This (says the Post) was rather unfortunate in a' way, for if tho police had known where the burglar’s outfit was planted they could have loft it where it was and secreted a posse of detectives amongst the pines, pending the arrival of tho cracksmen at night time to pick up their tools, preparatory to embarking upon another noe turnal “stunt.” In all probability arrests could then have been effected, and the operations of the gang nipped in the bud. As it was, however, the police were highly pleased to get hold of the gear, which, being up-to-date in every way,. was really dangerous, in tho hands of expert thieves The electric drill has since been identified by Mr Smyth as one which was stolen from his premises, and it is thought that the burglars intended to emplov it upon some of the bank safes in the city. Tho machine is capable of boring through chilled steel quite easily, and works practically noiselessly. Apparently the burglars had some elementary knowledge of electricity, for they had fitted on the cable connected with the drill a couple of “cut outs” to protect themselves aoainst receiving a shock in the event of anything going wrong with the appliances. These “cut outs” wore not required, however, for the drill itself was properly insulated, and if it had teen connected with a high tension circuit it would probably have been rendered useless, because it was not- intended to be worked by high Power. Tho plugs attached to tho end of the cable were adaptable to connection with the sockets in which nn ordinary electric light globe is fixed. The drill, and the rest of the burgling appliances, are being closely examined for evidence of fingerprints, but it is fcarrt! that the handling which the various tools received bv the workmen who found them has obliterated most of the incriminating marks.