SAFE BLOWN OPEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1939, Page 8

SAFE BLOWN OPEN

BURGLARY IN PALMERSTON NORTH. OFFICE SET ON FIRE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N„ This Day. For the second time within a year the premises of J. L. Bennett Ltd, auctioneers, were burgled when the office safe was again blown open in the early hours of this morning. On this occasion the intruders apparently cleared the ruined safe of its cash contents even while an outbreak of fire was occurring in consequence of the explosion. This last, which was of considerable force, was heard some distance away. When the Fire Brigade arrived at 3.38 a.m. they found the office on fire and full of smoke, with the safe badly damaged, but no sign of the burglars. The. latter had made a hurried. escape. Mr T. Williams, a night porter in an adjoining hotel, stated that he heard suspicious noises at 3 a.m. in the ba,ck yard of the hotel. He investigated, but found no one. Twenty minutes later he heard a loud, sharp report, like the noise of a car backfiring. Thinking it was on the hotel premises, he again made an investigation, during the course of which the brigade arrived and entered the premises of Bennett-. Ltd. from which smoke was seeping. The brigade used two first-aid jets in extinguishing the fire. The floor of the office was in a state of chaos. A heavy charge of gelignite had been placed in the back of the safe. It was evident that the burglars were at a safe distance when the shot was fired. Though the firm’s actual loss cannot yet be estimated, -it is considered to be in the vicinity of £5O in cash and cheques. Since the first burglary, in May last year, the firm had avoided keeping Ihrge sums of money on the premises.JiEarlier this week the firm drew £5OO in a building society ballot.