POSTAL BOXES LOOTED

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1929, Page 11

POSTAL BOXES LOOTED

EIGHT NEW PLYMOUTH CASES THEFT OF 300 TO 400 LETTERS. DOORS SMASHED OFF THE BOXES. Thieves broke open eight postal boxes in New Plymouth and removed all the I letters posted during the week-end. The robbery, which probably took place in the early hours of Monday was a big and well-planned coup, for by Sunday evening the boxes are always well filled with letters. The boxes that have been broken open are located at the junction of the following streets: — ’ Carrington and Brooklands Roadf. Tukapo Street and Omata Road. Tukapo Street and David Street, Top of High School Hill. Foot of High School Hill. Devon and Sackville Streets. Record and Barriball Streets. Beyond Waiwakaiho Bridge. Devon Street West (attempted). During yesterday afternoon nearly 100 letters were discovered by Mrs Richards. No cheques had been removed. They liad been torn open and thrown over Te Henui bridge at the top of Avenue Road, close to the Junction Rodd. The letters, with one exception, a letter card, were all opened and had been so much mixed and blown about by the wind that it would be practically impossible to put them in the right envelopes again. As soon as the discovery was made the police were communicated with and a posse was on the scene soon afterwards. Mrs. Richards found the letters when she was looking for pungas and happened to glace over the bridge. The postmaster was communicated with, but it is practically impossible to forward the letters in their mixed and damaged State< . , T TV Post office officials estimate that the thieves obtained possession of between 300 and 400 letters. The value of the contents is, of course, known only to the [individual senders, and, probably, to [those who took them. ; The doors of the boxes were forced open. This would not be difficult in the cases of the wooden boxes attached to posts, but the one at the corner . of Devon and Sackville Streets is an iron pillar box. Discovery of the depredations was made by the official who was clearing the boxes early yesterday morning. The last previous clearance had been made at about mid-day on Saturday. As no one had reported discovering anything amiss and nothing had been put into the boxes subsequent to the robboeries, it is suggested that the thieves must have carried out their operations in the quiet hours of Sunday night.