Incendiarism in Rutland Street —Thieves Set Offices Alight

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 87, 4 July 1927, Page 9

Incendiarism in Rutland Street —Thieves Set Offices Alight

VALUABLE STOCK JEOPARDISED

THIEVES broke into premises at 5, Rutland Street last evening, ransacked the two offices there and set fire to the building with kerosene and a blow-lamp. Fortunately the fire died out after burning a large hole in the floor.

A S the premises in Rutland Street are only a short distance from the Normal School, it is believed that the same burglars broke into both places and set them alight. No. 5 Rutland Street is occupied by Mr. Fred Sullivan, armature w r inder, and Mr. T. C. Grant, welding expert. Much valuable material is stocked by Mr. Sullivan and if the fire had taken hold, as the burglars intended, he would have been a heavy loser. as some of the armatures are valued at over £BO each. In order to gain entrance to the building the burglars took out a pane of glass from a rear window. They climbed a wall into the office and broke open a cupboard containing much valuable electrical wire and appliances. Evidently the thieves then crossed to Mr. Grant’s office in tho same building, broke open a safe and took 15s worth of stamps.

Returning to Mr. Sullivan's premises the burglars have poured kerosene on the floor, lighted the blowlamp and left the fire burning. This morning a large hole was found burned in the floor, out as there was no draught the blaze must have extinguished itself. A few inches from the edge of the charred wood were shavings, dry kerosene cases and other inflammable material. Mr. Sullivan's overcoat was stolen and there were dead matches scattered about the floor of Mr. Grant’s office. Mr. E. G. Twohill, proprietor of the Clarendon Hotel, which is next door, noticed smoke coming from the building, but he thought it was drifting across from the Normal School, which was burning fiercely. He did not think at the time that the premises at 5 Rutland Street were alight.