SAFE – BREAKERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 28 May 1912, Page 5

SAFE - BREAKERS.

AT WORK IN AUCKLAND. (..Per Pr«ss Association "J Auckland, May 27. The long scries of burglaries which have gone on regularly and uninterruptedly for the past two mouths was added to on Friday night, or early on Saturday morning, when the safe of the Taupe- Totara Company's office at Newmarket was neatly broken open, and about £lO in cash stolen. A nightwatchman is kept on the premises, but though he was about his duties as usual he had heard no untoward sound during the night, and no explosion ap-1 pears to have reached the ears of the | policeman doing duty in the main; street of the suburb just handy to the office. When the clerks came to work at the usual hour they found the back door open, and the door of the safe wa.s gaping, showing tho books in the usual order, but three small cash-box-es beneath the, book-stand were gone, and with them the amount of money mentioned. It is evident that the cracksmen are reducing to a fine art the use of gelignite in its relation to the strength of the various sizes of safes that cross their clandestine path. This safe had not been removed from its accustomed place, and there was no unnecessary shattering of door and locks. The explosive had neatly blown off a flange of the door. leaving the way open, while the books inside were practically undisturbed, a. courtesy which is appreciated by the office staff. The presence near the safe j of a roll of sheet brown paper sug-1 gests the means taken to reduce the sound of the explosion. Though the back door of the office was left open, it: showed no sign of having been forced, and the deduction is that skeleton keys were used for the purpose of en-; try by tho burglars.