See historic events for any day of the year by entering the date below. Why not try your birthday?
Ernie Abbott, the caretaker at Wellington’s Trades Hall, was killed instantly when he moved a booby-trapped suitcase. Despite lengthy police investigations, the crime remains unsolved.
The suitcase – designed to go off when moved – contained the equivalent of at least 1 kg of gelignite, although the actual explosive has never been identified. The lack of a clear motive for the bombing hampered investigations. An initial theory centred on a bus strike the previous day. Trades Hall was a union building, so it was suspected the bomb was aimed at a unionist. Police investigating the crime, however, concluded that it would have been difficult to assemble the bomb and put it in place in such a short time.
Image: Ernie Abbott (Timeframes)