AN IMPUDENT BURGLARY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1925, Page 1

AN IMPUDENT BURGLARY

AUCTIONEER DECEIVED. [IY TF.r.EGBAPn —PEll pit ess ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, Sepl ember 30. A most impudent burglary was committed in broad daylight in Stephen; Avenue, Parnell, yesterday, but fortun. ately the missing property was all recovered at an auction mart, and now all that is wanted is the daring individual whose fertile brain devised the plan and carried it out with a coolness that completely deceived a well-known auctioneering iirtn of high standing, and quite hilled the suspicions of the neighbours. The scene of this cool piece of impudence, which rather recalls Sydney or some other large town, where smart cracksman work, was a large house in St. Stephens Avenue. Parnell, owned by Mr 11. P. Kissling. gcncralrmanager of the X.X. Insurance Coy. At present Mr and Airs Kissling are away in Sydney on a holiday visit. A well-known firm of auctioneers yesterday received a call from a welldressed youth, who gave it out that lie was Mr Kissling’s son, and lie said that he wanted certain of the furniture in the St Stephens Avenue residence

-old off during his father’s absence. Me asked that the firm would send a representative lip with a motor lorry and tin- tilings would be pointed out to him. Accordingly the linn sent up a reliable man with a motor lorry. Arriving at the house, which is quite close to the road, and has neighbours on both sides of it. quite near nil auction room, the employee was admitted by a young man who was impersonating .Mr Kissling’s son. They went inside and the young man led tlm auctioneering firm’s representative and bis assistant into various rooms and pointed out the furniture which he said was superfluous. Accordingly, all the articles pointed mit , --aud they made quite a load were packed up and taken down lo the auction mart In (jueen Street. As Mr and Mrs Kissling were away some of the people in the street who raw the furniture being removed wondered, but the tiling was so openly done, and the name on the lorry looked so respectable that they were rompletcly disa 1 tiled.

Under Hm verv noses ot Parnell, this cool, hare-faced burglar winked away, nr rather, let tile auctioneering men do tlm work, while lie directed and removed some of Air Kis-ling’s most valuable household belongings. Anyhow, the furniture was removed to the auction room, and was duly sold, hut, meantime, tlm fact that Kissling’s house had been entered had been discovered. and the police were put on the 1 rail.

How the young burglar with the inventive turn of mind got in is not quite ele.tr. but a dour at tlm back had orm of the panes removed, or part ol ti taken out. and it. i- probable that be vas able to open the door through the opening.

Fortunately. Ihe burglar Was not clever enottch to reap the reward ol in- mi-plaeed ingenuity and risk, lie evidently got wind that the game was e, p| before he could be presented with the cheque. All tlm goods were recovered at Ihe auction mart, a- they had not been removed. and so everything ends satisfactorily; with the exception that the voung man who thought out this elatiutate plan of getting rich quickly is -till at large.