A SAFE BLOWN OPEN

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 230, 29 September 1926, Page 3

A SAFE BLOWN OPEN

DOOR FLUNG 15 YARDS. , THIEYES' CLUMSY METHODS. An explosion that was heard by a woman livmg on the opposite side of the street' ensued upon the insertion by thieves of an exeess quantity of gelignite in the lock of a safe in the office oi' the Peerless Engineering Company, at Collingwood, Melbourne, early one morning reoently. So much gelignite was used that ihe door of the safe was blown across tho inner and outer offices, a lisian.ee of about 15 yards. It struck and damaged a. blackwood desk. Pieees of brass from the frame of thb lock were flung with great force against the walls df the office and were embedded in the plaster. Tlie safe oontamed £20 in notes, a diamond ring valued at £30, and a small wedding ring, which had formerly belonged to the deceased wife oi' a member of the firrn, all of 'which were stolen. Entrance to the building was gain4 by hreaking a hack window, the mad" being large enough to adtaif ihe hody of a. man. Deteciive.s Bell and McAi-thur, who were investigating the ca.se, stated that the v indow could have hecn forced open more easily and with less noisei i'han must have been made by the "hreaking of the glass, and that tho methods of the thieves generally indicatod that they were incxperienced . The inanagcr sn icl that he locked the building shortly before (> o'clock on ihe previoiis night, and had discovered the results of tho thieves' work at 10 miuutes past 7 o'clock in the morning. When they vjsited the building the detectives found severn 1 pieees of fu.se, a large jemmv, and a sandbag on the floor beside the safe.