ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12724, 20 August 1919, Page 6

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.

WARDELL’S PREMISES ATTACKED. THIEVES FAIL TO ENTER A daring, though unsuccessful, attempt to effect an entry into the premises of Messrs WardeJl and Co. was made last night, or in the early hours of this morning. A right-of-way runs from Cashel Street to Lichfield Street, between Messrs \\ ardell'g premises and the Dank of Australasia. In this right-of-way are the side windows of Messrs AAardell’s premises. Those are of the ordinary type and arc fastened with an ordinary window catch, below y. Inch, however, is placed a thumbscrew passing through the upper and lower frames-

Jt ;. Is assumed that, the would-be thici, or thieves, made a first attempt to effect an entry by moans of an upstairs -window in the packing; department, which was reached by means of a recently erected fire escape. When Ihi,s lire escape was erected an iron shutter, covering the whole of the interior of the window, was also erected, and this proved an effective barrier to the would-be burglar. An attempt was then made on three of the windows in the right-of-way. Jwo of those, farthest from Cashel Street, had holes knocked in them above tho catch. From the fact that the glass is the solid kind known as niurancsc. and the hole in each case is a ''omparatively neat round one, n, would appear that a heavy blow wagiven with some instrument, presumably a hammer. Apparently the thief failed to discover the thumbscrews, the unscrewing oi which would have made the opening of the windows a simple matter, and thereupon proceeded to attack the third window in a different manner. In tin's instance the whole of tho lower pane was attacked, and a large hole knocked in it. It is assumed that the thief Look fright at this stage or to interrupted in his work, as' the hole was not quire large enough to admit of anyone getting through it, and apparently 710 attempt bad been made to cuter the building.

l’he police have the matter in hand and are prosecuting inquiries into it.