BURGLARIES AT AUCKLAND

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1929, Page 2

BURGLARIES AT AUCKLAND

OFFICE SAFE BLOWN OPEN’.

TWENTY POUNDS SECURED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, July 5.

Scenes of disorder and a gaping hole in the office safe was the discovery made by one of the staff on the Nikau Bacon Factory Company, Ltd., New North Road, at 4.30 o’clock this morning. During the night burglars with explosives had been busy, and had taken a haul of £2O in .cash, representing the day’s takings, £2 in petty cash, kept in a cupboard near the safe, and. a number of stamps. Cheques were disregarded, and left strewn about the office floor to add to the general litter of books and papers and portions of tlie damaged safe. The burglary was a particularly daring one, as the factory, although standing thirty feet back from the pavement, has an open frontage to Main Road, and is bordered on the Morrin Street side by a vacant section. Entry was obtained by the front door, which is of the swing extension type, the padlock being sawn through. Ignoring the firm’s big stock of hams and bacon, the marauders appear to have gone about their w’ork in a systematic way. The lock of the safe, ivhich is 3ft by 2ft, was plugged with explosive, and a book puttied over it to concentrate the explosion. Over the book was placed the box, which may have had the effect of deadening the noise. People residing in a house adjoining the factory were not disturbed, but the explosion was evidently a severe one, for the safe was wrenched wide open, the lock and portions of the safe were torn right away, and debris was scattered all over the office floor. The detonation damaged a telephone, but a clock that reposed nearby was still ticking its regular beat this morning. Mr. Charles Brown, one of the principals of the firm, stated this morning that the premises were securely locked last evening. Returning home late, an employee of the firm discovered the front door of the factory open, and on entering found the safe open and the office floor covered with books, papers, cheques and parts of the safe. The burglars were apparently seeking cash only, and no hams or bacon were missing: