SAFE-BREAKERS IN LEVIN

Shannon News, 1 February 1927, Page 3

SAFE-BREAKERS IN LEVIN

RAILWAY STATION SAFE EXPLODED. INTERIOR OF OFFICE WRECKED LARGE SUM OF MONEY STOLEN. A WELL-PLANNED CRIME. Something of a sensation was caused in Levin on ‘Monday, when it. became known that some time since last night an entry had been effected by burglars to the Levin railway station,, the office safe opened by means of a violent explosive, and a large, sum of money stolen. The attack-bore all the evidences of a well-planned and determined crime, and left very little in the way of clues to the perpetrators. The fact that something serious had happened was first discovered- at 6.30 o ’clock this morning by Surfaceman Doyle, who called at the station before going on duty and was astonished to find the doors open and the windows shattered. Inside, the internal fittings of the office were badly wrecked. The safe was badly battered and minus, its contents, and the interior of the office generally presented the appearance of having come off worst in the encounter. Mr Doyle at once communicated with Mr Cleverley, of the office staff, and Mr J. H. Wright, the relieving stationmaster, who is acting during Mr McQueen ’s absence on holiday, while Constable Bagrie was quickly on. the scene.

Fuller investigation showed that the perpetrators of the crime had made a very complete job of it.. The safe is a heavy Chubb of the usual type, two feet wide by three feet in height, en closed in an outer casing of 8 to 12 inches of concrete, and standing alongside the fireplace on the outer wall. The walls of the safe were of heavy steel, with thick asbestos packing as a fire precaution. The door consisted of a half-inch steel plate with the usual heavy reinforcement- at the back, and the steel locking bars fitting into the frame on either side. . The charge, evidently an explosive of great power, appears to nave been inserted in the keyhole and exploded. The effect was to force the plate of the door from thi frame, this being brought about by the breaking of the 24 stout, rivets holding the two together. The explosion had other results, however. The massive brass handle was ripped from the safe. The office furnituie and fittings in the path of the outward impact were smash ed and broken, and the windows on the platform and street sides of the building shattered The drawers under the goods booking counter were smashed in, and one or two pieces of flying metal made jagged holes in the wooden ceiling Another curious effect was to bring a heavy fall of soot down the office chimney. Seen this morning the interior of the station presented a sail scene of destruction, strewn with broken fittings, and drifting asbestos and backed by the wreck of the safe. Unfortunately the thieves were rewarded with a fairly substantial booty, the contents of the safe being some £125 or £126, of which £67 was in cheques and the rest in cash. Some books and records in the safe also 'suffered damage. The explosion took place between 2 a.m. and 2.15 a.m., and was heard by a number of residents in the vicinity, but was not pronounced enough to occasion any alarm. The night and time chosen for the crime indicate a knowledge of local routine on the part of the perpetrators. In the first place, with the Banks closing early on Saturday and the excursion train yesterday, there would be a considerable amount of cash in the safe, and then Sunday night is the only night in the week when, owing to there being no goods traffic, there is none of the staff in attendance. On week-nights there is an officer on duty practically the clock round. At the week-end, however, attendance ceases with the passage ol the Auckland express about 9 o’clock, and no one is on duty till the following morning. The burglars thus had a clear field for operations, but that the> were daring and determined is evidenced by their ability to make a clean get-away after causing an explosion of such violence and destructiveness. The police .are making the fullest investigations into the matter. LINTON STATION ALSO ENTERED Advice was received in Shannon yesterday that the Linton railway station was also broken into last night and the safe opened by the use of explosive, the job being practically an exact pattern of that at Levin. A sum of 36/- was all that was obtained in this instance.