The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-11-02
AT LAST!
CAPTURE OF SAFE BLOWERS
CAUGHT IN THE ACT-H0W THE OLD
THING WORKS, &c.

| About midnight of last Thursday the police off,
GERS of this city succeeded In bagglng some OF the
heavy game they have been feeling for during the
past six months or more a part, at least, Of the
verltabe safe blowing gang, who have been ter
ror 10 business men, who have imagined that q
mere FIRE proof safe was also proof against drills
and powder Several days previous to last Thurs
day, Marshal Webb had his suspicious aroused TO
the belief that intentions were at work to crack
the safe In the Office Of Joseph Biechele's soap
works South walnut street, near the railroad
Accordingly, with chosen assistants he had lain
In wait in the shop adjoining the ONCE for several
nights previous to the attempt, but so far with no
developments Thursday evening, no made more
than usual preparation, stationing officers Rgler,
Lothamer, and Eitneler, with special assistant
Andy Wielandt In Ballard, Fast q CO.'S shops
opposite the sdap worka, from which station they
could view the entire frontage of the soap works,
while Marshal Webb, with John and Ed Piero,
were stationed In the soap packing ROOM with
but n door between them and the small Office,
and that door locked with the key on their side,
They awaited patiently and quietly until between
l2 and o'clock, when their eyes were made to
dance atthe sight of three men, who passed the
shop from toward the railroad In single file, and
ascended the steps to the platform, which ex-
tends along the entire front of the works, some
feet above the grade OF the street. Two Of the
men wentdown the platform and peered through
a window into the very room where the officers
were secreted. Then they went to The office win.
dow, at the north end Of the platform, where the
officers heard them pry open the window, and en-,
ter the office The officers were unable to tell
whether one, two, or the three had entered. but
they heard distinctly hand try the door which
led to their hiding place, and then the trial the
safe lock they heard the crack o. two or three
matches as they were struck in the Office and
shuflllng and other slight noises of preparation.
At the critical moment, signal was given by
the officers in the soap works to those in the kite
works across the way, aud a simultaneous rush
wqs made, officer Rigler having the key to the
outside Office door they came into the office al
most together, expecting to surround the three
men, but only found one In the office, the other
two probably having been lying low under the
platform steps outside, and crawled out and run
away as the police entered the office, The one
secured in the Office proved to be John f. Browne
well, best known as "Banty" Brownewell, a little
man, but possessed of many lightning qualifica'
tiOns for that dangerous business. About the
time they had "Banty" where they wanted him.
two pistol shots were heard near the railroad
probably fred to attract their attention from the
vicinity of the office. Webb and Rigler started
up to jail with "Banty" and the others branched
out in pursuit of his two pals, and succeeded in
taking Banty's brother, Charlie, on Tenth street.
between Walnut and Cherry; he had run away
and on Tenth street, deliberately turned and
walked toward Walnut, when he met Lothamer
and Ed Plero and cody asked what was going
on" The officers told him he was just the man
they wanted, and he went quietly along to Jail
Later Louis Hexamer known as Butch, was
captured on the Louisville road, while on his
way home. This completed the band. They had
a preliminary hearing before Mayor Braden Fri
day afternoon and were bouud over to Common
Pleas court in the sum of $1,000 each, in default
of which they were renlanded. Hexamer was
subsequently, bailed by his father and is now at
liberty. The instrument used in prying open the
window was common moulders clamp about
foot long and shaped thus, like printers brack-
ct Among the articles taken from Banty were
the following, some of which he had removed
from his person ready for work on the safe One
PINT bottle ofpOwder. one large pocket knife, one
revolver one tube for inserting powder into lock,
bunch of matches three small wax candles one
small can Of oil, one breast brace ana tour gOou
drills, and small bottle containing some fluid
mixture No testimony was offered for the de-
tense at the preliminary hearing, though all
three of the prisoners pleaded not guilty. At the
close Of the hearing in this case, Edward Linton,
one of the proprietorS of the Canton cutlery
works, appeared before the Mayor and charged
the same three with highway robbery, stating
that about II o'clock Thursday night while on
his way home, he had been stopped near the Bap-
tist church. and with three revolvers at his head,
told 10 stand and deliver. The highwaymen took
nothing but a silk handkerchief from him, re.
turning small amount of change he had Lin
ton was positive these were the same three there
under arrest for the safe job but on hearing be-
ing had, they proved an alibi at the time the
highway job was charged to have been COM
mitted