BURGLARS BUSY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 May 1938, Page 6

BURGLARS BUSY

SERIES OF WEEKEND ENTRIES IN MASTERTON FIVE ESTABLISHMENTS RAIDED. CHEQUES AND MONEY TAKEN. There was an alarming series of burglaries in Masterton over the weekend. Five places were broken into and a quantity of cash and cheques totalling nearly £l4O was taken. All the jobs bear the hallmark of the same person or persons, who used a jemmy with professional skill. The door leading into Mr N. H. James's office in Lincoln Road was burst open, apparently with a jemmy. Drawers were ransacked and the padlock on the strong room door was wrenched oil. Three cash boxes were taken, one containing cheques to the value of nearly £l4O. One of the cheques was an open one for £74 9s Gd. From the other two cash boxes £lO or £l2 in notes and silver was taken.

After ransacking Mr James’s office, the intruders made their way into Mr J. A. Bett’s office, via a connecting door which they unlocked with a key from Mr James's door. Desk and other drawers were forced open, apparently with a jemmy, and papers and books were strewn about. Apart from a few stamps and about a shilling, nothing, however, was taken. The raiders also paid a visit to the warehouse and office of Messrs Donald and Sons in Perry Street. Considerable force was used to gain an entry. An unsuccessful effort was made to open the strong room. Papers and articles were ransacked and left in a state of confusion, but as far as could be ascertained nothing was taken. A small quantity of tea and sugar was the only reward the intruders re* ceived for breaking into the Masterton East School in Johnston Street, while nothing of much value went from the Riverside Golf Club’s pavilion, which was also entered, a jemmy again being used. The lockers were forced open and ransacked. It is also reported that attempts were made to enter the oil store of Messrs Fagan Motors and Mr F. J. Hunn’s Workshop. Detective-Sergeant W. Kane took charge of the police investigations this morning.