SAFE BLOWN OPEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 40, 9 October 1931, Page 3

SAFE BLOWN OPEN

thieves ransack general store at ohaupo HAUL REMOVED BY MOTOR HAMILTON, Thursday. A large general store in the business centre of the township of Ohaupo, was the scene of an audacious burglary in the early hours of this morning. The safe in the manager's office was blown open and a systematic selection of clothing, food and sundry articles was made. The store, which is the Ohaupo branch of the Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Ltd., this morning provided ample evidence of the marauders' visit. The iron safe in the manager's office had been blown open and several pounds in cash removed. The thieves, 'judging from the way in which the contents of the store had been ransacked and strewn about the floor and eounters, had not hurried over their work. While the forcing of the safe indicated that this was the work of an experienced criminal, the selection of goods from the stock articles suggests that the burglary was the work of "amateurs." A motor-car had obviously been used to transport the haul. In pursuance of the usual custom the cash takings of the day had been remitted and the thieves as a result found little to repay their expert forcing of the safe in the manager's office. The premises were locked up by the manager, Mr. W. G. Truman at 9.30 last evening, anid though he was attending a meeting across the road up to 11 o'clock he heard no sound of an explosion. Mr F. R. Ebbett, who resides in a small cottage at the rear of the shop, likewise passed the night undisturbed.