Robbery at the Eltham Station.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 194, 12 May 1896, Page 2

Robbery at the Eltham Station.

About 2 a.m. on Thursday morning the Elthaua Railway Station was broken into, and £l3O stolen out of the safe, which was burst open by some explosive. The burglar or burglars must have been old and experience! hands at the game, judging from the determined manner in which the robbery was planned and carried out. Eutrance was effected at the delivery counter of the post office, after ineffectual efforts had been made to force the station door and -window. The shutter was prized open by means of an iron bar of some description. The office presented a wrecked appearance. The safe door was blown clean off, the lock and fittings being strewn around the office. The concussion had the effect of cracking a mirror, breaking a kerosene lamp and some bottles of. ink, and driving one of the legs of a desk through the wall. Nitro-glycerine was evidently the factor used in bursting open the safe, the burglar or burglars seeming to know how to use it.

iThe discovery was first made by Constable Simpson at about 6.45 a.m. He states that on goiag to feed his horse at about that time he found a wooden drawer and cash box on the platform, aud soon discovered, by the evidence of the broken window, where they came from. He at once sent word to Mr O'Shea, telegraphist at the office, who immediately came down and soon had the wires at work, communicating the occurrence to the officers along the line in the hope of something being discovered as to the perpetrators. Mr Luudon, the Station Master, knew nothiug about the affair until nearly 8 o'clock, when he came down to the station to go on duty. The report was heard by several people living in the neighborhood of the station, but strange to say no one in the boarding-house opposite heard it, neither did Constable Simpson, who lives opposite the station. Soon after the robbery was discovered Ganger who has charge of the length of line south 'of the Eltham Station, reported that the Government tool box, which is placed on the side of" the railway line about 1|- miles from Eltham, had been broken into and a lamp stolen. It is surmised by this that the perpetrators had come from the. direction of Hawera, and. were evidently some of the speiling fraternity, who had been attracted to the races.—Post.