BURGLARS AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 222, 13 June 1919, Page 4

BURGLARS AT WORK

OPERATIONS IN THE CIl'Y. 1 After the lapse of a few months an | epidemic of burglaries is again prevalent in Wellington. Several of a minor character , have been reported of late, but two attempts on a wholesalo scale wero discovered yesterday morning. On Wednesday night Britannia Buildings, at the corner of Featherston and Johnston Streets, and the Westport Coal Company's wholesale department, at the corner of Cable and Taranaki Streets, were broken into, but the total haul did not nmotint to more than £10 in cash. _ The Britannia Buildings are owned by the Cycle and Motor Supplies, Ltd., who occupy the ground floor. Other portions of the premises are used by Richardson, Orr, and Co., manufacturers' agents, Cardale and Scott, shipping agents, and J. W. SI. Harrison, physical cultunst. Entrance to Britannia' Buildings, each department. of-the ground floor of which is separated by glass partitions, was obtained by forcing open a window. All tna drawers were broken open and the; contents ransacked and thrown upon tlio floor. Efforts were mado also to drill open a safe, but they were not attended With success, and the instrument employed was left behind. By means of .i key secured from one of the drawere inthe main compartment, the office of tho manager, Sir. L. A. Edwards, was opened, but here the intruders made, from their standpoint, a very bad miss-. A sum of about -SSa and a number of war bonds, besides a gold watch and chain, of the total' value of .£OO, were located 1)1 this office, but, fortunately,. they were left behind. A sum of .£6 and 3s. worth of stamps were abstracted from a ca6hbox in the retail department, but anothe. amount of lis., which was dying on a counter, was overlooked. The cases in the. showrooms were tampered with, ana although one article .was taken out ana renlaced. nothing was stolen. The offices of Messrs Richardson,Orr, and Co./ niul Messrs. Cnrdale and Scott, on the upper.floors of tho also visited, but nothing was stolen. From the rooms of Mr. J. W- Harrison n. sum of about .CI in silver was obtained. Mr. Harrison locked the window of his office on Wednesday night, but yesterday morning it was found to be .pen. Altogether, the damago done to locks, doors, windows, desks, and other fittings in the premises is assessed a t about .£SO. II is not known whether the Westport Coal Company's building was entered before or after Britannia Buildings were burgled, but the same gang may , have been concerned in both enterprises. The Westport Coal Company's building was broken into bv the forcing of n window at the back. Two doors wero then prised onen, and tho office of tho. manager', Mr. Hamilton, thoroughly searched. Attention was also paid to the clerks' roonw.TV safe was tackled with a drill, but without avail. In both (he clerks' offices and the manager's office correspondence was disturbed and thrown about the floors. Very little of value was stolen, however, and no money was found.-