DARING BURGLARY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 217, 1 June 1918, Page 6

DARING BURGLARY

IN LAMBTON QUAV AUCTION MART

What was a most daring burglary considering the hour and the place, took place on 'i'hursdaj evening nl Messrs. E. Johnston and Company's miction room on Laniblon Quay, between G and 7 o'clock, fortunately without any serious result. Sir. Eric Johnston plated that he left the rooms at ii.s p.m., intending \e return, and locked Ihe premise*). When ho returned at 7 p.m. he found Ilic front doors wide open, and very lively evidence of how they hud been, 'unlocked. It appears that the thief had first attempted, to force the door open with a "jemmy" or some such instrument, and, failing to get it open by prising, .hud taken oil' that strip of the door which overlaps the other (when (he two I'oors meet). As this rough and ready way to force an entrance also failed to (-fleet the intended purpose. Ihe marauder smashed in. a corner of the yuarter■ncli glass panel in the door nearest Ihe lock, passed his hand through the aperture, and vnr.v simply turned the ale lock from the inside.

The auctioneer's theory is that .the burglar was after the cash taken at a big auction sale held that dny, and after I lie sale taken to the office by the cash, eierk in her b:i?. As a matter of fact, Hhe cash clerk did leave her bax in the office, and it was missing yesterday morning, but there was no money in it, (he product of the sale having lie.cn transferred to the safe, which Hie thief had not attempted to tamper with. Other than the loss of the cash clerk's bug, Mr. Johnston had not. been able to detect anything missing fiom the looms. His conclusion was that the thief, not ijettii's: the cash a<! readily as he expected he would, had decamped nfler a huvrral investigation. Tlio mutter is being investigated bj the police.