Three Safes Blown In One Building

Chronicle (Levin), 31 May 1948, Page 5

Three Safes Blown In One Building

Press Association)

(Per

AUCKLAND, May 30. A flum of about £450 in cash was stolen from three safes in the office of the Auckland Commercial Traveilers' and Warehousemen \s Club, m the early hours of Sundav morning. lncluded in tlie stolen moenv wa,s a suni of £3 G0 which had been donated by club members for the Blind Soldiers' Pund and the Aid to Britain. Campaign. The burglary was discovered when the secretary, ATr. H. J. Aekins, made his usual Sunday morning call at the club. When Mr. Aekins entered the main office he found that a large lireproof safe had been blown opeji and sawdust and asbestos filling material was scattered around the office. A sum of £150 in cash and odd cheques had been removed from the safe but the intruder had not bothered to collect several pounds worth of silver which was scattered on the floor. Mr. Aekins ehecked • otlier-offives on the grouna fldor. In hjs own office he found that the safe had also been blown open. There was a heavy smell of cordite in the air and furniture and walls and eeiling were covered with dust and pieces of a rug which had been used to deaden the sound of the explosion. Nothing of value was taken from the secretary 's safe artd the thief overlopked some valuable "jewellery on a tray. The safe in the house bar which contained about £300, had also been forced. Curtaining matexdal and a small wooden table wffiich had apparently been placed around the safe when the explosion charge was lit, were found lying on the flgor. With a shattered door in eaeh ease the safes were forced by explosive charges placed in the locking mecbanista.