SAFE BLOWERS USED TOO MUCH GELIGNITE

Chronicle (Levin), 27 June 1946, Page 8

SAFE BLOWERS USED TOO MUCH GELIGNITE

Press Association

Bv Telearavh—

AUCKLAND, June 26. i Burglars who b'roke into the NationalBank of N ew Zealand in the main tho-: roughfare of OtaEuhu early on Tuesday j night and attempted to blow open onfe of the safes with galignite, were foiled when the loeking meclianism jammed and prevented them from .stealing a substautial sum of money. t Although one of two men acting sus- ' piciously in the vicinity wras seen about | to Clirnb over the fence into the banlc | property .and at least five residents heard an explosion at about 9.30 p.m., | the affair was not reported to the police j until after the banlc was opened thisj morning. While a thiclc fog hung over the borough, the tliieves elimbed a low fence on the left hand side of the bank frontage and prized open a window giv- 1 ing aceess to the baclc of the building which has onlv one floor and 110 strongroom. Although it was labelled "boolcs and securities," thoy set to worlc on the safe about 5 feefc iiigh and 3 feet wide, eontaining money and ignored several others and onc oi' which was rnarked "cash." The explosion so thoroughly jammed the loeking mechanism that it took an experienced loclcsmith about five hours to unfasten it. It wak of suffieient intensity to cause dust and dir't to settle in the private office of Mr. T. R. Pope, manager, at tlie front of the premises. All the money was found to be intact and as far as is known nothing else was stolen by the intruders who departed through a window opening on to Avenue Road. Their deprcdatious were diseovered by the acconntant, Mr. A. E. Jenkins, when he carne to work about .9 a.m.