ROUGH AND READY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 207, 22 August 1908, Page 2

ROUGH AND READY.

THE LUCK OF AILVTJiUII CRACKS MEN. The licet has left Auckland, and the criminals are following suit, it seems, .but by diU'ereut routes. It was probably a portion of the elilux which breaking the journey at New Plynioulli, attempted to rob the White Hart Hotel safe on Thursday night. Whatever else they may have been the burglars were evidently amateurs in this profession. I The discovery of anything amiss was made by Mr. Sydney Hall, the head waiter at the hotel, who had been attending the 'Slur social and was returning to the house about 12.30, whistling. This whistling disturbed the marauders. A 5 he entered Queen street lie observed a man emerge from the hotel yard, but took no notice of this, llear-

ing footsteps, his attention was aroused, and he spoke, but received no reply. Then a man left the yard by the same way as the other prowler. Proceeding further, he noticed a window open and n light burning within. Recollecting that there had been a light in the sitting room on the Devon street front, adjoining the oilice, he entered, but could see no one. His observations led him to the belief that the departure of the two men and (he open window were no mere coincidences, so he roused the licensee. In the sitting-room next the oilice were found four plugs of gelignite, four caps, and some pieces of fuse, two of the plugs being fastened clumsily to the caps. The quantity of the explosive

and the manner of using it testified to the fact that the man or men had little I knowledge of gelignite It was lucky for them that they were disturbed, for it was evidently their, intention to get into the oilice and wreck the safe. With such a quantity of gelignite _ the burglars would have been blown into fragments with a considerable portion of the building. The police were immediately informed. The marauders must have been watching the house pretty closely, for Mrs. and Miss Clarke returned' from the Star social a few min- ! utes before midnight, and Mr. Clarke was in the commercial room until I lie clock struck twelve. The nightwatchman was, it appears, not in the vicinity from elevn o'clock till some time after the discovery of the burglary. Upon ■examining the sill of tike open window yesterday it was made pretty conclusive from footmarks that the burglars secured entrance at this spot.