NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 280, 30 August 1915, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

GIRL’S SUDDEN DEATH. 'WHILE UNDER OPERATION, x DUNEDIN, This Day. Horen/* e Hurndell, aged IS,, died suddenly*at Palmerston on Saturday 'while undergoing an operation for a septic throat. THREE YEARS' HARD LABOUR. AUCKLAND, This Day. At the Supvenie Court, John Bggenton was sentenced to three years hard labour for a criminal offence on a girl tinder 16 years of age. THE KEROSENE DUTY. WANGANUI HIT HARD. WANGANUI, * This ‘ Day. The new duty of fourpenee a gallon «n low-grada kerosene will be felt severely' in thi s district, where it is extensively used for transport waggons, motor delivery, vehicles, c(nd Fiver steamers.

It i s estimated that the cost of. running the Wanganui River service will h e increased by £lO Oh pe«r annum. A number of vessels have recently been ■converted from coal to oil fuel. RETURNING SOLDIERS. A TOTAL OF 489. AUCKLAND, This Day. The Hon Mr Russell states that he .received a cablegram saying that out cf a total of 488 cases on the Tahiti, only 27 are hospital cases, and 57 were convalescent; the remainder wele described as 405 c,there. What the latter meant he did not know, but apparently they did not come under the military definition of convalescent cases.

MOST SENSATIONAL ROBBERY ELTHAM BANK UNDERMINED. TUNNEL UNDER WILKINSON’S. A LUCKY DISCOVERY. TWO MEN ARRESTED ELTHAM, This Day A sensational attempt at bank tob-

hery has been discovered at Efitham. Two men, Samuel White and William were arrested yesterday in con•ffection therewith. The premises affected are the Bank of New South Wales and C. A. Wilkinson’s (Universal provider). Arrangements, on an elaborate scale, had been made showing that the men hid been working for months. A trap door led underneath the building adjoining the Bank, and a tunnel tv o feet by 2ft 6in ran a distance ot 40 feet to underneath the strongroom c the bank. The men were already at work on the floor of the strongroom, tapping the

■concrete. Spades, tomahawks and other tools were found in. th e tunnel. Another day and the men would have been in the strongroom. The piot was discovered by the Bank Manager a few days ago. and he promptly informed the police. At Wilkinson’s arrangements were still more cleverly carried out. An Iron ventilator at the back of the premises had been converted into a sliding door, an d a tunnel constructed underneath the building to the office, the floor of which is elevated from the rest of the flobr. A small trap door wa s constructed in the floor underneath its level and cleverly concealed, Wilkinson’s have been missing goods for weeks past, and suspicion rested on employees. The trap door was discovered by ihe manager on Friday. He immediately investigated and found the tunnel. A quantity of prdouce, box of butter, fruit and pickles "were found in the tunnel Goods were also found in the man White’s house. Both men are res!dents Of Eltham and were considered to be respectable citizens. They were charged at the Magistrate’s Coifrt and remanded Detective Siddels and Senior Sergeant McNealey, who effected the arrest, consider it the most sensational case in their experience.