CRACKSMEN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 278, 21 May 1912, Page 8

CRACKSMEN

BOLD GANG NOW AT WORK. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Saturday. The burglary epidemic, which has disturbed the city and suburbs of Auckland during recent weeks, extended to the vicinity of Stanley street, Parnell, last night, when the office of the Waiwai Mineral Water Company was entered by some person or persons with designs on the safe. They left without accomplishing those designs, having apparently been disturbed. This makes about the fifteenth attempt at housebreaking in Auckland during the last two months, and recalls a previous occasion on whieh a gang of cracksmen were operating in Auckland. This was ten years ago, when the Ramsay gang successfully carried through a dozen or more burglaries in the city. Ramsay was clever, an'electrical engineer, and was the leader of a band of five (including a woman) who the police felt convinced were the perpetrators of the series of burglars, but who were unable to effect a capture. All the police beats were doubled, and it was art anxious time for the authorities, particularly when an attempt was made to rob a, safe in one of the big institutions of the city of £7OO. On that occasion, the attempt to explode the safe resulted in the handle being blown right out, which meant that the bolts could not be shot back, and so the haul was missed. Ultimately the (police locked the suspects up on a charge of vagrancy, and, three months later, upon their release' fthey made for Wellington, where a further series of undetected burglaries was perpetrated. When they commenced operations in Christchurch, however, the gang was caught red-handed, and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. The leader, Ramsay, on his release went to Dunedin, and there made a murderous attack on a bank clerk, for which he received a sentence of ten years, and in connection with which he is still in durance.

STILL ANOTHER BURGLARY. Auckland, Last Night. Another burglary occurred on Saturday night, or early yesterday morning. A chemist's shop in the heart of the city was entered, and £ls in cash was earned off. This makes the sixteenth burglary in the city and suburbs within two months. ,