AUCKLAND BURGLARY
GELIGNITE CHARGE JAMS SAFE LOCK. FIRE FOLLOWS EXPLOSION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, October 13. Burglars broke into the house of Mr G. H. Fleming, 226 Remuera Road, early in the morning, tried to force a heavy safe with a charge of gelignite, but jammed the lock. Cushions used to deaden the sound of the explosion were kindled by a spark, and the fire ultimately spread to the nearby wall, a carpet and a chesterfield. Luckily a woman sleeping in a room immediately above was awakened by the smell of smoke, and her summoning of the fire brigade and its prompt response resulted in the damage being restricted to within a small compass. The house, which is of two stories, is screened from the main road by a high fence and is below the road level. The intruders were, therefore, well shielded from casual observation. The billiard room, where the safe was kept, is on the ground floor. A relative of Mrs Fleming told the police that early yesterday morning—she coud not fix the time—she was disturbed by a muffled sound which apparently came from the room below. She heard no further sounds and went to sleep again. At about 6.30 she woke suddenly. There was a strong smell of burning and smoke was issuing through her window from below. She telephoned the Remuera fire brigade. and the firemen soon quenched the fire, which by then had reached the ceiling and caught the top of the window.
Meanwhile Mr and Mrs Fleming had made a quick survey of the rooms to see whether anything had been stolen. As far as they could discover the thieves had walked from room to room and made a thorough search for valuables, but took only some cigarettes and a few bananas. The drawing room clock had been taken into the hall and left there. Butter from the kitchen refrigerator had been used to pack the gelignite in the keyhole of the ■ safe, and the explosion, some of it even to the opposite wall, about 16ft distant. The safe itself had to bo opened by an expert. Mr Fleming said that if the thieves had opened it they would have been disappointed, since only a few account books were kept in it.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1939, Page 3
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378AUCKLAND BURGLARY Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1939, Page 3
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