DARING THEFT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26621, 18 November 1947, Page 4

DARING THEFT

HOTEL SAFE REMOVED BAR WINDOW FORCED p.A CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 17. Thieves boldly entered the Racecourse Hotel, Upper Riccarton, last night while the occupants slept only a few yards away and stole the hotel safe, containing about £l7O in cash and cheques. The safe has not yet been recovered. , . Not one of the guests was awakened by the thieves while • they were a., work. The thieves even loitered long enough to drink a bottle of beer m one of the bars. ~ ... The proprietor of the hotel said this afternoon that the safe contained about £SO in cash and £l2O in cheques Payment on the cheques had now been stopped. The cash included about £3O in threepences and pennies which Mr Crothers used, as change for .the bar trade. The safe, measuring about . two feet by 15 inches, was taken from the hotel office, the thieves leaving the doors wide open on their way out. A truck or motor car was probably used to carry it away, as it would be too heavy for two men tcj carry. very far. The thieves forced open a window into the bar, went through .the hall, broke a glass panel alongside the office door, and reached through to open the door from the inside.