BURGLARS WITH EXPLOSIVES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1312, 17 October 1914, Page 4

BURGLARS WITH EXPLOSIVES.

Another sensational burglary effected on premises in one of London’s main thoroughfares is occupying the attention of the Metropolitan Police. The scene of operations was 117, Holboru, where, in a large block of buildings, Messrs I. Altshuler and Co. carry on business as diamond mounters and manufacturing jewellers. Two men, it is stated, gained access to the premises, it is believed, overnight, and in the early hours of the morning blew open a safe with explosives and succeeded, in spite of a large number of police who had heard the report and surrounded the buildings, in getting away with* jewellery of the estimated value of about The burglars appear to have obtained access to Messrs Altshuler’s offices and workroom by smashing a pane of glass and dexterously removing several iron bars that formed an obstacle. They then attacked the safe with jemmies, but these proving ineffectual they employed an explosive, and oue side of the safe was blown away, leaving exposed a collection of brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings and other gold and silver goods. Having made a pretty plean sweep of these the burglars sought to leave the premises. The explosion had been sufficiently loud to attract the attention oi several commissionaires and caretakers who were sleeping in the block, and also a couple of persons who were passing along the pavement of Holborn Circus. An alarm was given to the police and a cordon of constables was drawn round the greater part of the building.

Then commenced something like a game of hide and seek. The burglars seeing that the police were on their tracks at first took refuge on the roof, from which elevated position they surveyed what was going on in the street. They dodged behind chimney pots and a youth who was awakened

by the noise actually saw the burglars stating at him through a window of bis room. He afterwards described them to the police. In their almost frantic efforts to escape the burglars broke one or two skylights, and also the pane of a window of a room in which a lady had been asleep. She called a companion who pluckily mounted to the roof and came face to face with the two men, who immediately dodged behind more chimney pots and got out of sight. This was at the Hatton Garden corner of the building, and the commissionaire having blown a whistle the police concentrated their attention on this spot. The burglars, however, it is thought, were able to watch the movements of the constables by the reflection which was clearly discernible in the large windows of Messrs Wallis’ drapery establishment opposite. Then apparently they made a dash down the stairs and slipped out of the entrance which leads to Messrs Altshuler’s premises, and with their booty got clear away.