SAFE BLOWN OPEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19885, 11 March 1939, Page 6

SAFE BLOWN OPEN

PALMERSTON BURGLARY SECOND TIME IN YEAR FIRE FOLLOWS EXPLOSION (Per Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., this day. For the second time within a year, the premises of Messrs. J. K. Bennett, Limited, auctioneers, were the scene of a daring burglary when the office safe was again blown open in the early hours of this morning, but on this, occasion the intruders showed even greater boldness and apparently cleared the ruined safe of its cash contents even while an outbreak of fire was occurring in consequence of the explosion, which was of considerable force and was heard some distance away. Whe'n the brigade arrived at 3.38 a.m. they found the office on fire and full of smoke, and a badly damaged safe, but no burglars. The latter had made a hurried escape.

Employed as a night porter on the adjoining hotel premises, Mr. T. Wilu'ams informed a reporter that he heard suspicious voices in the bacK. yard of the hotel and made an investigation, but whoever the persons were they had departed. Twenty minutes later he heard a loud, sharp report identical with the noise of a car backfiring. Thinking it was on the hotel premises, he again made an investigation, during the. course of which the brigade arrived and entered the premises of Messrs. Bennett, Limited, from which smoke was seeping.

The brigade was summoned by a constable. Two first-aid jets were used in extinguishing the lire, which was located in the office. The brigade discovered that the fire had its origin in .in explosion which had burst open and shattered the safe door. The floor of the office was in a state of chaos. A heavy charge of gelignite had been placed in the back of the safe. It was evident that the burglars were at a safe distance when the shot was fired, because it was a comparatively large one to shatter so extensively the whole of the outside steel leaf of the door on the safe, weighing about a quartar of a ton, and too big for removal. Though the firm's actual loss cannot be estimated, it is considered that in the vicinity of £SO in cash and cheques was taken.

Since the first burglary in May of last year, the 'firm had made a practice •not to keep large sums of money on the premises. Earlier this week the firm drew £SOO in a building society ballot.