Burglary at Palmerston.

Manawatu Herald, 30 October 1894, Page 2

Burglary at Palmerston.

At an early hour on Friday morn* ing, says the Standard, the premises of Messrs R. Hannah and Co. in the Square were burglariously entered and the safe stolen. The thieves gained an entrance from the back of the building by forcing open the window in the ladies' showroom. The safe, which did not contain cash of any description, bat only cheques amounting to £40, the books, and a gold watch, was carried from the front shop through the ladies' Bhow room, and out into the yard. The safe was then evidently placed on a wheelbarrow and wheeled up the Rangitikei Line past the- Traveller's Rest Hotel to an adjacent paddock where the side was broken open with a sledge hammer. The burglars had a very slight reward for their efforts, owing to there being no cash inside the safe. The only thing they appropiated was the gold watch, which was the property of Miss McCleary, who is in charge of the show room. The burglars were so disgusted with the result of their work that they left the wheelbarrow and y sledge hammer alongside the safe, where they were found by the police.

A sjirarige fact in connection with the robbery \s that there are tso cottages i short distarice from where the safe wag discovered, and yefc the ocouJarits did iidfc .tierir th> jidise of the "wows made with the sleclge hammer. Mr Knox, manager for Messrs Hannah and Co., noticed several suspicious characters loitering about the front of the shop the previous morning. The work is evidently that of spieifir_3« a tiiiinber of whom have been in Paimerston for several days past. It is the duty of the police to rid the town of these characters^ and they should take Steps io do sd at fiftCe* .„.„..