The Burglary Epidemic in Auckland.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XV, 11 April 1903, Page 1000

The Burglary Epidemic in Auckland.

A series of burglaries in the Auckland district has been reported during the past week, and the disconcerting epidemic of eiime has not concluded, so it behoves residents to be exceedingly careful in “locking np,” and to place portable valuables safely out of the reach of midnight visitors. The latest report of a burglary Comes from Northcote, the cireumstenecs proving that it must have been committed by a daring “old hand.” Even yachts in the harbour have not been overlooked, a number of thefts from them having been reported.

The burglary at Northcote occurred at Captain Slattery’s residence on Sunday night. The captain had drawn his pension last week, and he might have been expected to have a tempting sum of money in the house, but fortunately he paid a number of accounts in Auckland, and when he retired on Sunday evening there was between A 10 and £ 12 in gold and notes in the cash box. which was kept in a chest of drawers in his bedroom. Mrs. Slattery got up at four o'clock on Monday morning, and saw the drawer opened. This caused her to examine it closely, and she was startled to find that the cash box had disappeared. The house was examined for traces of intruders, and the front room window was found open. It had been closed, but not fastened, on the previous evening. There were ten persons sleeping in the house, and the thief, or thieves, must have possessed considerable nerve to enter Captain Slattery’s bedroom, seeing that two or three other bedrooms had to be passed before it could be reached. Nothing was stolen excepting the eashbox, with its contents. This is not the first robbery at Captain Slattery’s bouse, one of the young men staying with him having lost a small sum of money a few weeks ago.