BURGLARY IN GERALDINE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14390, 4 January 1911, Page 5

BURGLARY IN GERALDINE.

KOI MOGH SroUBN. On Saturday of Mr D Roofiere, situated ott,thrlau at Geraidine, *i»s entWed and sumo.articdia» were stefctt. ' Mr Rodger* Haft home for 'haa incw early in 4b» evening, ; «nd W»f6 dark Mrs Rodgen aJeoleaving tiio houae unoocuploiJ, WIUI the .doors securely locked, though dows wore leTk a liUJe open At top. It was eleven o'oJtoek- nefo«» they rerturned iliome, tend tlie first fhing tbey. noticed ww iliat tiw garden WM opened, and then .they found the front door unlatdtod. - On entering houiao tbev found it in a great state ■et der, everytluing having been_ naMokedj drawers Having been opened and Iraoa and clothing r«anpoved and scattered about. A jewel bos had been "takfin ,frodfi tho {fflaoo where How been^kept And waft not to be found, A couplo Of suits of .dlothos belonging to Mr -llodgers, together with some sliirte had boen placed on cliairs near the front i. Window, which lied been left open, and' I oven - the 'mattresses of tile oedß had i been moved, evidently in for money or otlfler valuable®. In tiio dininig room things had also been Iransacked and portions of a silver tea ■servioe placedT on the tabte, as if in readiness for removal. It was evident that entry lhad been gained through the front bednxun window, the vene-i tian blinds to which, wore down and the I "hanging curtajn Jiad beon fastened i back with a pin, which had been taken from the manteloieoo of hotiae. Amongst the articles of jewellery ■aes a trophy that had been won by Mr Rodgers in a sports competition, end whion bo vialned higlily. . On seeing the condition of his boLto Mr Rodgers immediately oommunioated with the police. The jewellery Mas discovered behind the curtain in tlio front room, tied up in a piece of rag, but whether it luad been dropped , theio Or placed where it could be reached from the outside is not apparent. Mr Rodgers 'is firmly of opinion that tho burglar or burglars were desirous of finding money, and that in tho March therefor they had ransacked everything; tliat uhey had put together a number of things in rendincss to tnio them away, and that they must rlien liavo been disturbed and left the building by the front door, not even shying to latch it. A rather savage dog ttss chained up at tlie back of the houso. and it may have barked and frightened the intruders. Several articles n'oro taken, but these were not of considerable value. . 'The police made a very careful cx-. animation of tho placo nnd searched diligently for finger marks and cthor cluos to the culprit, but oil we are, able to say is that no arroet has yet been made. Tlie incident will, no doubt cause residents to securely fasten doors and windows before leaving their houses -while unoccupied and unwiatohed.