BOMB EXPLOSION

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1932, Page 5

BOMB EXPLOSION

AT GREYMOUTB IN VICINITY OF POLICE CAMP. (Per Press Association — Copyright.) GREYMOUTH, Oct. 29. Coinciding with an announcement by the Minister of Justice, Mr J. G. Cobbe, that £2OO reward was being offered for information leading to the apprehension of the person, or persons, responsible for the bomb explosion which damaged the roof of Police-Inspector Lopdell’s residehce, in Buccleugh St., in the early hours of October sth, many residents of Gfeyhioutii were startled with dramatic suddenness at 9.5 o’clock last night by the reverberations of an explosion heard from one end of the town to the other.

The scene of the explosion proved to be in the vicinity of the police camp in Gresson street, which is about a hundred yards from the residence of Sergeant D. B. Murray, in Arney street, across the clear section at the rear of the Police Station.

After the roar of the explosion, smoke was seen by-onlookers, rising in the vicinity of the camp, or Arney street. This suggested the conjecture that un attempt had been made either to bomb the residence of the Sergeant or efee the police station itself, A search was immediately made by tile police, but no sign of damage—or of the explosion whatsoever was found. The search, however, was made extremely difficult by) .the large aiea of the camp grounds and also by the fact that the night was extremely dark, with heavy rain falling. Inspector Lopdell was not in the station at the time, the officer-in-charge being Senior-Sergeant C. E. Roach, while Constables Downes and Robinson were also on duty at the time. The first search was conducted by Constable Robinson, but although it was thorough, the constable was unsuccessful.

The police station was shaken somewhat by the explosion, as were other buildings in the vicinity, and the Windows were rattled.

BOMB THOUGHT TO BE JOKE. PERHAPS TO INFLUENCE POLICE. GREYMOUTH, October 29. Inquiries this morning into ’ last evening explosion show that it took place in the Borough Council’s open shed, used for storing drays, and" over one hundred yards from the police station. The explosive is believed to have been placed in a) dray, , th© bottom being blown out. The- shod was undamaged, and a. horse in the shed was .also uninjured. The district opinion is thnt the explosion was intended as a joke, perhaps to influence the police.