SAFE BREAKERS

Southland Times, Issue 20586, 10 September 1928, Page 7

SAFE BREAKERS

AT WORK IN TOWN OFFICES OF W. TODD & CO. ENTERED TWO SAFES OPENED. When Mr H. Denton, of the firm of William Todd and Co., entered the main office of the Rialto at 10 a.m. yesterday he was amazed to find the floor strewn with cheques and account books. One of the two safes usually standing in the office was missing. The other was lying on the floor empty. Mr Denton hastened to advise the police of his discovery and also communicated with Mr William Todd. Further investigations showed that the burglars effected their entrance to the premises by scaling the Spey street fence and then forcing open two doors. The first of these was a small door leading.into the etore. This was prised open with some strong tool. In order to get into the auction rooms proper a strong iron catch holding the big swing door had to be prised out of the brick wall. When this was accomplished the intruders had access to the main office, for the door communicating with it and the auction room was not locked. The burglars did not wish the sound of their safe-breaking operations to reach the ctreet, so by means of a cow-cover one of the safes in the office was skidded into the adjoining room and from there taken on a store barrow into the produce room. This is situated well away from either Spey or Don streets, and, secure from molestation, the burglars proceeded to take the back out of the safe by the skilful use of a maul and case-opener or some such instruments. This safe contained the ledgers. Having satisfied, or rather disgusted, themselves that there was no money in it by tipping all its contents on the floor, the thieves returned to the office and tried their hand and their luck with the second safe. This they opened by tampering with the lock in some ingenious way. They collected what money the drawers contained and tipped the cheques and account books on the floor. Just how much cash the burglars secured will not be known until a reckoning is made by the firm this morning, but fortunately for William Todd and Co. and unfortunately for the intruders, most of the day’s takings had been banked. The burglars must have entered the building after 10.30 p.m. on Saturday, as there were employees on the premises till then. Most probably operations were not commenced till early on Sunday morning. The police are making full investigations.