MORE VANDALISM

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 194, 15 May 1944, Page 4

MORE VANDALISM

Central Park District

The Central Park district of Wellington has ugain been subject to an outbreak of house-breaking and vandalism. One night last week three instances of attempted house-breaking were reported, as well as several cases of broken windows and other damage, caused by a gang of hoodlums. TT . , From Bidwell, Upper Hankey and Marion Streets came the reports of attempted house robbery, while most ox the cases in which houses and property; had been damaged by the. throwing ot stones or small lumps of iron, were reported from Hankey Street, and Newtown. . . . . 4 According to the times the instances of window-breaking occurred, it would appear that the' culprits began their escapade from the top of Thompson and Nairn Streets and left a trail of broken windows aud nervous residents down Hankev Street, and up to Newtown. The prominent apa’rtment house which stands at the top of the Hankey Street steps was the first house damaged All lights in the house were out, eud the vandals evidently considered that, nobody wits at home. After completing a circuit of the house, and trying all the back doors, they finally came round to the front, and started to smash the glass front door of the top fiat. The noise of the crashing glass and splintering wood awoke a resident in the lower flat, who immediately turned on all lights. Ibe culprit s prohi ’tly ran tor it. Soon after a n-uinner of houses at tlie bottom of the Hankey Street steps experienced a series of smashed windows, and one resident went so fur as to report that a fire had been started at his gas-meter. Further reports of this kind of damage came from the district just south of Hankey Street and in. Bidwell Street another attempt nt house-breaking occurred. . Residents in the district around Central Pai .k have experienced an epidemic of house-breaking and like xthefts recently. particularly the pilfering of garages, 15 alone being reported from Brooklyn. Lockij are being safely secured J” this area.