CITY SAFE BLOWN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 707, 5 July 1929, Page 1

CITY SAFE BLOWN

SUM OF £2O STOLEN BACON FACTORY ENTERED EVIDENTLY WORK OF EXPERT The safe in the office of the Nikau Bacon Factory, New North Road, was blown open last evening, and the sum of £2O stolen. Cheques amounting to £4O were left behind, but the thief also took about £1 worth of postage stamps. Gelignite had been used. Evidently the safe-blower was an' expert, as he had inserted the charge in the keyhole of the lock and packed it with putty before exploding the charge. Pieces of putty spattered the wails and the floor of the office this morning, and the cover of a book, which had evidently been used to keep the putty in position. The force of the explosion tore the door completely off the safe in one piece and wrecked the automatic telephone which was attached to the wall above it. Mr. C. E. Brown, proprietor of the factory, which is situated at 273 New North Road, said this morning that when a meat carter arrived at the factory at 4.30 o’clock this morning he found the front door wide open. This roused his suspicions. When he investigated he found the safe in the middle of the office with the door off and books and papers scattered over the flofloflrfl. A padlock on the front door had been filed off. As the factory stands back from the main road the thief was evidently able to work in comparative security. The money in the safe was in notes and cash. Fortunately the cheques were not negotiable.