AN ELTHAM SENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1915, Page 4

AN ELTHAM SENSATION.

TUNNEL UNDER A BANK. ENTRANCE EFFECTED INTO 4 STORE. WELL-KNOWN RESIDENTS ARRESTED. By Telegraph.—Press Auocifitloa. Eltham, Yesterday. A sensational attempt at a bank rob* bery has been discovered at Eltham, cad two men, Samuel White and William Keiuh, were arrested yesterday in connection with it. The premises affeoUd are the bank of New South Wales and C. A. Wilkinson's (unversal provider). Elaborate arrangements had. been made, allowing that the men had been working for months, a trap-door was let in underneath «. building adjoining tfee bask, and a tunnel excavated 2ft. by 2ft, din,, (running a distance of forty feet underneath the strong room of the busk. The men were already at worij on the floor of tho strong room, tapping tile concrete. Spades, a tomahawk, and other took were found in the tunnel. Another day in the sfr&ng-room', but they' &re discovered by the bank manager a Uw days ego, and he informed the police. At Wilkinson's Use ararngementa were still more elererly carded out. An iron yentiktor «.t the back of the premised Wfci converted into a sliding door, and a tunnel constructed underneath the building to the office, the floor of which was elevated above the rest of the floor. A small trap-dear was constructed in the floor underneath and cleverly concealed. Wilkinson's had been missing goods for some weeks poet, tad suspicion (rested on the employees, The trapdoor was discovered by the manager on Friday. He immediately made investigations and found the tunnel, A quantity of produoe, a box of butter, fruit and pickles wtre found in the toutnel. Goods were adso found m the house of tho man White. Both men are readents of EUliam, and considered to be respectable citizens.

The men were formally charged at the Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr. B. Dive, J.P., with (1) on;pi\ about June 1 entering the premises of C. A. Wilkinson and stealing goods therefrom] and (2) attempting to enter the premises of the Bank of Now South, Wales, with the intention to steal. IWtli m.m were remanded to appear at Eltham on September 7 next* and wore taken to New Plymouth gaol to-day. Finger 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 a»eer. tain if any criminal record can be traced to him.

The scenes of the burglarious attempts were visited by a large number of people all-day. --.♦■' Mr. Fake estimates that, judg&g by the color of the earth in the dug-out portion, the work must have been going on for fully six months.

Complete, outfits of change clothing, including boots, were found in the tunnels. The men had evidently changed every night before commencing work. Mr. J. B. Sim atateß that three or four months ago he lost the tap key belongin/? to a water tank on his premise*. Between the premises of Mr. J. B. Sim and those occunied by the Egmont Billiard Saloon is a vacant section, on which the grafts is growing freely, Here, then, the men were afforded ample scope to commence their work without beip«i observed, because the vacant section is fenced off from the public street bv sheets of galvanised iron. And tbev made the most of their opportunity \ tunnel was commenced immediate) v below (he western wall of the billiard saloon, and <the entrance to it was covered by a trap door over which gr»»<s was growing. So cleverly was ihe work ooncealed that it might have been pasned many times dining the day without, being observed. , The building having been ereotid unon sloping ground, there was spenty of room for the deposit of the enoil without having to cart it awny. Under the bank the tunnel becomes an onen trench, hut boards were laid unon the trench and the spoil deposited thereof, thus making the trench a timber-roofed tunnol. The limber, it is believed, was taken from Mr. Scoon'a yard. One of the men concerned in the burglary attempt* on the premises of the Bank of New South Wales and Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, is the wellrknown ovclUt, S. White. He has met with moderate success on the wheel. His best win'WM the short distance run to Kapornm and back about twelve months back. He has been living in the district for some years, as a share milker, and latterly as painter.

MR, WILKIKBON'S EMPLOYED. Wellington, Last N!«ht. Mr. C. A. 'Wilkinson, M.P.. who*e store at Elthain is concerned in the attempted burgling exploit, said to-night that tlw published statement tlmt suspicion had rested on some employees in connection with the loss of j?oods wa* incorrect. No suspicion whatever hud attached to the einplovees, who were working on the profit sharing basis, auc" were really members of the firm.