The Eltham Sensation.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2, 31 August 1915, Page 7

The Eltham Sensation.

BURGLARS' ELABORATE WORK. UNDERGROUND EXPERTS. DISCOVERIES BY THE POLICE. The Eltham Argus gives the following interesting account or what lias oeeu teriueu tne muni* aen.->auou«Ji case joi roouery and attempted bauK ourgI lary in tue History ox one Dominion: ATTtMl'l OH THE BANK. ueiweeu cue prenuseb ui jAia' <>. rj. ©mi anu tuuat; u<_cupieu oy me l^g'niont imiicij stuouii io u irueuut sec- ' uuu, on vruiun uiu gittss m gro.viag 'ueeiy. Here itwii me nnni were ai'iorueu amp!.' scope to commence ..neir • rt'Oi'K wibiiuuc ueing ouserveu oecause 'tne vacant section »s lenceu oil lrum 'tat; puonc scree* uy sneeus ol gaivanlseci iron. And tney made tile "^« D or tlieir opportunity. A tunnel *\as colninenceu immediately oelow uie western wall ol Uie billiard saloon,

and tlie entrance to it was covered 'by a trap door over which grass was, igrowing, fcio cleverly was tne work [concealed that it might nave been (passed many times uunug the day without being observed. lhe tunnel, which was laid about six teet underground, was about two feet wide uy two feet six inciies high, and was just large enough to enable a human body to crawl tnrough. It had been carried underneath tho billiard saloon premises to those or the Dank. Underneath the bank the tunnel took a sudden turn until it reached the strong room. Here elaborate arrangements had been made by tlie men lor what they expected to be the final stage of a long and arduous undertaking. The floor of the strong room had already been tested, the concrete giving evidence of having been tapped m several places. IN THE iUNNEL

immediately beneath tlie strong room were ioiuiu a touiailawK, a *>pauo, trowel, anu otuer tools ciiat nau evidently ueen used by tne men. jiverytumg points to cloverly arranged plans. me oudding navmg ooeu erected upon sloping tuore was plenty oi room lor the deposit 01 tne spoil without having to tart it away, under tne oauk tne tunnel oeeomes un open trench, but boards were laid upon the trench and the spoil deposited tnereon, thus making the trench a timber-rooied tunnel. The timber, it is believed, was taken from Mr Seoon's yard. riome days ago the work was discovered by Mr lioss, the manager of the bauk, and Mr Urant, who immediately informed Constable Townsend. The police in JSew Plymouth were then communicated with, and after almost a Week's investigations an arrest waj* affected on Sunday.

AT WlklViiwUt^Wi At Wilkinson**, i/ao uevicda used >.>f lac nioa me even more clever tnun i* cue ease at the udixn. lnuueuiateiy aujojiaug tiie nicuu portion oi lae ouiluiag is a iCorrugafceu iroa store, in trie eastern wall ca uracil is au iron ventilator, xnis tne culprits nau couvertea into a siiUiug clooi, thus gaming access to the. interior or fcho basement. A tunnel was constructed' underueatii the brick wall separating the main building from the store, uud was carried to a point immediately underneath the onice, the lioor ol which is from tne rest or' the floor, in jthis small elevation a trap door was constructed, and could be opened and closed at will, hinges having been attached. The doqr was, concealed by a large bench, running practically the whole length of the store, and the 'culprits must have been well acquainted with the premises, as they chose a spot for the entrance that would have proved the last to afford detection. This proved to be the case.

For some time past goods bad been missed by the Arm, and naturally enough suspicion rested on the employees. Mr Flyger, the manager, was interviewed by the police last week, and informed of what had occurred at the bank. Investigations were, then made at Wilkinson's premises, and the sliding door in the rear discovered, A kerosene case had been placed in front of the door to conceal the work of the men. Further investigation proved that the culprits had been making the most of their opportunities, for in the tunnel was found a quantity of goods, including a half box of butter, two blankets, a box of fruit, a quantity of pickles, and other goods. A large quantity of goods was also discovered at White's residence. Fipger prints were found on a bottle in the tunnel underneath the bank. It is the intention of the police to take the finger prints of the man Keith to ascertain if any criminal record can be traced to him.

Mr Fake estimates that, judging by the colour of the earth in the Hug out portion, the work must have been going on for fully six months.

Complete outfits of cha.nge clothing, including boots, were found in the tunnels. The "."men bad evidently changed every night before commencing work. • ; . BEFORE THE COURT.

The men were formally charged at the Magistrate's Court before Mr E.

Dive J.P., with. (1) oil or about Juiie ' Ist entering the premises of 0. A. I Wilkinson and stealing goods therefrom, and (2) attempting to enter the premises of the Bank of New South Wales, with the intention to steal. I Both men were remanded to appear at 'Eltham on Sptember 7th next, and jwere taken to New Plymouth goal.

A SIMILAR CASE. In 1912 a similar case occurred at Muriwullumbah, New South Wales, but in this case the thief .a half caste aboriginal named Jakes, .succeeded in affecting an entrance. The premises concerned were the Commercial Bank of Sydney, and wore situate in the main street Tweed street. A tunnel had been constructed underneath the banking premises and was discovered by the police about ten days before an entrance was made into the bank. The place was guarded every night, and several police were waiting inside the bank premises to give the culprit a fitting welcome. Jakes had laid his plans very carefully, and when he considered he had chipped eiiougb of the floor of the strong room away he blew the remainder away with dynamite. Crawling up into the strong room he met a different sight to what he had expected to see, for be was immediately mot by a policeman who arrested him there and then.' Jakes made two or three attempts to escape while awaiting trial, but all were unsuccessful, and he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment at Darlinghurst Supreme Court, Mr Justice Tooth occupying the judicial bench. ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

The Eltham correspondent of the Hawera Star says :

1 At the Bank of New South Wales the objective was the strongroom and. safe. In order to get there they did* about sixty feet of tunnelling, about three feet deep by two feet wide. Next to the bank, on the south side, is Wadham's billiard saloon, next to 'which there is a vacant section. The feunnellers had apparently started operations in this vacant section close to the south wall of the billiard saloon, where they had put in a trap door, but had so neatly covered it over with grass turf that it would be very difficult to detect it. They then tunnelled right across under the billiard room (about 30ft) to the bank,

and right under the bank floor to the strong room, some 25ft. A square of about four feet is dug out from the bottom of the tunnel to the floor of the strongroom. Altogether there is a length of tunnelling of about s ; xf.y ifeet. A spade, shovel, hoe and a small short-handled four-pronged garden grubber were found under the bank. The discovery of this tunnel was made about a week ago, but had been kept absolutely secret, the bank officials and the police only being aware of it. There had been no operations by the intending housebreakers since the discovery was knotrn* to the hank. They had got very near to their goal, but not quite to it.

I At Mr Wilkinson's premises the task ,of the housebreakers was much more .easy. A ventilator in the hack wall of the building .was removed. They thus got into the back store, then I tunnelling under this and making a large hole under the strong room. They then got into the office. The large hole was stocked with blankets, ladies' clothing, and many other goods.