CRIMINAL OUTRAGE

Southland Times, Issue 19545, 8 May 1925, Page 11

CRIMINAL OUTRAGE

MELBOURNE CRIME WAVE. TERRIBLE EXPLOSION. BUILDINGS WRECKED. “WICKED AND DELIBERATE." SYDNEY, April 24. Hardly have the Melbourne police investigated the Malvern bomb outrage when another sinister explosion has occurred in the southern capital, resulting in one building being blown to pieces and more than thirty Ehops and premises being damaged. It is remarkable that there were no deaths or injuries. The explosion occurred on Monday evening. It needed no extensive inquiries on the part of the police to reveal that this is another criminal outrage. The centre of the explosion appears to have been in the premises at Bridge Road, Richmond, which were blown r.o pieces. Fortunately the occupants of the destroyed building were spending the weekend away.

People who were asleep in the buildings near by were thrown out of bed, and in other ways suffered from the violence of the explosion. Ihe dariiage to plateglass in buildings other than the scene of the explosion is estimated at more than £lO9O. In addition, there was further damage ot the interiors and stocks of some of the buildings, most of which are shops or work-

It was believed at first that the explosion resulted from the ignition of some benzine on the premises, but as a result of the finding of two unexploded sticks of gelignite, and about thirty feet of rope fuse, which had apparently lain in the backyard running towards the gate, together with the nature and extent of the damage the police were not left in doubt that the explosion was the result of gelignite wilfully laid and fired in the building. It is probable that an inquiry will be held by the coroner.

The sign of a fire coming from the building was the first intimation that anything was wrong. Almost immediately there was the sound of a terrific explosion, and the shop, which consisted of two storeys, and was occupied by Messrs J. P. Duncan and W. Cockmg, trading as the Richmond Electrical Supplies Stores, appeared to lift bodily in the air and fall again in a heap of ruins. All the front of the shop was hurled forward into the street, and stray wreckage was thrown great distances from the scene. Flames shot about 40 feet into the air. When the brigade arrived there was only a heap of smouldering ruins, but there was great danger of the fire spreading. Within half an hour the brigade had the fire under control.

It was thought that Mr Duncan and his wife and two children, who occupied the upper portion of the building, had been on the premises, and it was not until several hours after the explosion that it was ascertained that they had gone away for the week-end. Meantime, the firemen searched among the debris for any trace of them.

The wreckage of the shop was complete. Only two steel girders spanning it are intact, and in place. The walls of the shops on either side are dangerously cracked. Although the police do not yet know whether only gelignite was used, or the quantity of explosive, they are convinced that the gelignite was deliberately laid.

Immediately after the explosion people from the neighbourhood, many in their night attire, flocked to the scene, among them a number of looters, who took advantage of the damage and confusion to thieve.

Mr Cocking stated that Mr Duncan, with his wife and; family, left in a motor car shortly . before midday: on Saturday, and he ■ ‘-understood they were./to 1 * .gpefld • the week-erid witli Nfrs- Duncan’s people. He, himself, locked the premises, and left about 1 o’clock. There were in the sfiop two Buick cars and two chassis. There were no explosives on the premises so far as he knew when he left. The whole position was very suspicious, and he was of the opinion that some one was deliberately responsible for the outrage. Whether he suspected anyone t in particular he would not say. He and his partner had been in the business only about five months. Both partners worked in the shop, but the business arrangements were in the hands of Mr Duncan. The proprietor of a restaurant in the neighbourhood said that immediately after the explosion a large motor car, with drawn blinds, passed in front of his shop. Although its occupants must have heard the noise of the explosion they drove right on and did not return. The police inquiries have led them along definite lines that should end in an early solution. They are of the opinion that a certain well-known criminal was responsible for the outrage, and developments are expected. At the Richmond Court on Tuesday, Albert Balderson was remanded on a charge of stealing a wireless set. It was alleged that he was arrested after the explosion, and that he took the set from one of the damaged shops. The Chief Commissioner of Police (Mr Nicholson), declares that it was the most wicked and deliberate outrage that had been committed for a considerable time. He intimated that certain conclusions had already been formed by the police and that an early solution of the mystery was probable.