The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-12-10
ATTEMPTED BANK ROBBERY.
A Daring Attempt TO BurgIarize
May, Park & Co.'s Bank.

hOuij 40 mI' Aeliy Snb0ISu Gho bhnh
and walked into the room where the
safe stands he was astonished to find
the outside door broken open and a
lot of implements scattered about pro-
miscuously on the floor. Upon exam
ination it was found that the outer
door of the safe had been pried open
with iron wedges about Z inches
in length, one of which was yet fas.
tened in the door. The small rivets
with which the door.plates are fastened,
we're evidently cut with cold.chisel
These plates we're pried open sufficiently
to allow the burglars to force the large
bolts book, allowing the door to swing
open. Thus the FIRST doors of the safe
were opened, and ore obstacle over
come.
An attempt was evidently made to
60 through the second doors by out
side force, as one of the handles was
broken of, but being unable to work
to as good advantage on them they
apparently abandoned it, and under
took to blow the doors open with
powder. A hole was drilled through
the top of the safe, back of the second
doors, into which powder had been
poured and touched off with fuse, some
pieces of which were found in the
room. From the appearance of things
considerable charge must have been
used, as the doors werc so badly
bulged as to make it impossible to
turn the combination, and the inside
of the first doors were considerably
blackened and marred by the burnt
powder as it oozed out of the crevices.
Up to this writing Mr.. Kelly has
been unable to open the doors, aud
cannot tell what damage has been
done on the inside. Of course the
money and valuables are all right,
being deposited in the back part of
the safe, which is secured by a burglar
proof box and locks, and it is evident
the thieves did not get the second
doors open SO as to reach this box.
Had they been successful in getting
the second doors open, their work
would have only begun, as it would be
impossible to effect an entrance to
the burglrr-pvoof box.
The burglars were not entire
strangers, it would seem, as they knew
where to get tools TO work with. A
sledge- hammer, a bit.brac and
monkey wrench belonging to Blum's
blacksmith shop were found; and a
crowbar, two iron wedges, and round
piece of I.iuch steel, oharpened at one
end, and ring bent on the other end,
evidently newly made, were also found
in the room no one seems to recog-
nize these tools. The halfinch drill
with which the hole was bored must
have been long and slender one, and
been made for the occasion, as the hole
is over foot deep. This tool could
not be found. The entrance to the
bank was eSected by hosting window
in the rear Of the building.
The thieves probably left their work
unfinished on account of the approach
of day, as they no doubt were late
getting commenced, several citizens
having been in the vicinity as late as
Il o'clock, who saw or heard nothing
unusual. A gentleman passed the
Central House, opposite the bank,
about l o'clock, but saw or heard
nothing. Tracks made by rubbers
were discovered about the premises.
Messrs. Doutt and Raisig who have
their room over the blacksmith shop
say they heard slight noise in the
shop some time during sunday night,
but, listening and hearing nothing
more,they paid no further attention to
it. AS Mr.. Blum missed his sledge on
Monday morning it is just possible the
burglars stole it at that time, iutend.
ing to make the attempt on Sunday
night.
The whole affair is yet a mystery,
and we have heard no surmises as to
who the perpetrators could have been,
there having been ma suspicious char
acters lurking about for the past few