BURGLARY AT PATETONGA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4948, 8 March 1926, Page 2

BURGLARY AT PATETONGA

government money stolen. FOREMAN’S HOUSE ENTERED. The residence of Mr W. Thompson, Lands Drainage Department’si foreman at Patetonga, wa# biirglcd on Thursday evening and a big sum of Government money stolen. The exact amount is not known, but there was, £143 19s lOd in wages for Government employees and something over £46 belonging to Mr Thompson. , The money was left in a* safe, the key of which was hidden in a drawer in another room. The key had been returned to its place, but a sjum of money had been .taken from ' the drawer. '

Mr and Mrs Thompson seldom go out together in the evening, but on this occasion they took their family to a harvest thanksgiving' sale in the public hall and were absent for a few hours.

The house is situated right in the township at the corner of the tramline and the main road. The loss was not discovered until' .the following morning, when tihe police , and the Kerepeehi office of the department were notified.

Constable Devereaux and departmental officers proceeded to Patetonga immedaitely, and later Detective-Ser-geant Sweeney .arrived from Hamilton.

Although large sums of money are forwarded to the foreman regularly for the payment of wages,, it is exceptional for such a large siim to be in the house over-night, for the workmen usually cailzfor it after work on pay day. Probably, owing to there being a function in the hall, most of them had desired to get home as early as possible and had deferred collecting their pay. Mr Thompson’s money had been collected in readiness to send .away in pyyment'of quarterly interest, instalment on farm machinery, and other accounts A cheque wrapped round some of the money was not taken.