The Auckland Museum Robbed.

Manawatu Herald, 28 March 1895, Page 3

The Auckland Museum Robbed.

■'■ » . — The Auckland Museum was entered on Monday night, and all of the ooins collection, valued at hundreds of pounds, was stolen. jThe burglars effected an entrance into the building by breaking a window in the ante-room on the right of the main entrance. The window was fastened in the middle by an ordinary catch, and opened back on hinges. To manipulate the catch, the burglars broke a pane, the catch being then turned. Admission to the ante-room was comparatively simple, owing to the width of the ledge and the construction of the window. When the burglars found themselves in this room, another difficulty presented itself. According to instructions from Mr Gheeseman, iheiaaretaker always locks the doors of fa&th of the front rooms before closing up for the night. The thieves, however, had come quite prepared for such an emergency, for, apparently with the aid ot chisel, they wrenched off the outer board covering the lock, and then after having bored a hole into the lock by means of a " jemmy," they burst the door open. The coins, which appear to have been the object of the burglary, were enclosed in two glass cases on the upper floor. The oases were broken open, which was a very simple matter, |qd their contents removed. In one case the oloth on which the coins ware arranged was removed as wetf. The collection contained a large number of very early English and {^NHftQ coins suoh as are very rarely seen in most collections, and was most valuable as far ai the Museum was concerned, as well as from a coin collector's point of view. Many of the coins had been presented to the Museum by the late Mr B, G» Barstow, of this city, who wag well known as the possessor of one of the best collections in the Colony.— -Press Association.