Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-10-28
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
BURGLARY AND ROBBERY

a Largo S1f0 blown to l'leees and lRol,l,s.,s
Tho building Shattered,
The office Of LOcher & Sons tannery. 3ss
South Prince street, was entered by burg
lars last night, who bored hole into the
fire. proof safe, charged it with powder,
blew the safe into fragments and robbed
it of all the money it c6ntained-the
amount being only about 80 in silver
The explosion was distinctly heard by
many persons living in the neiglfbOrhood,
but the cause of it was not ascertained un-
til about o'clock this morning. when
Hiram BushOng, the engineer Of the tan
merry, went to open the Office. He was
amazed at tho wreck which met his
gaze. The front door Of the office was
crushed to pieces and the upper panels
OiOwI. into the street. Every pane OF glass
IN the three front windows were shattered
into thousands Of fragments. The safe, one
OF Farrei 4 Cos make, about three feet
IN height, was blown to pieces. The door
OF the safe was blown entirely off and
hurled against the end Of 4 long heavy
table, used for displaying leather. The
table was crushed and thrown entirely
across the room. the top of the safe was
blown of and thrown into another corner
of the room. Every rivct in the sides and
back vi tho safe was broken of and the
fire proof packing or cement between the
inner and outer surface Of the safe was
broken into hundreds of fragments, and
all around the room the chairs and other
furniture were broken. Neither the walls
nor the ceiling Of the building appear to
be much injured, the bursting open Of the
windows and door having given sufficient
vent to carry off the pent-up power OF the
explosive. The books and papers in the
safe were good deal sinsed by the fire
and were covered by particles Of the shat
tered cement.
From the unnecessarily heavy charge Of
powder used and from the rather bunslins
manner in which the safe was bored. it is
thought the thieves were not professionals
An examination Of fragments Of the safe
shows that the top Of it had bcen bored
through with brace and bit, which had
been stolen for the purpose from Joseph
VOLTS blacksmith shop, AS South Prince
street, the thieves having left the tools be-
hind them, after rObbinS the safe. Tho
hole was bored just inside of the inner sur
face Of the door of the safe, passing first
through the bOiler-irOn with which tho
of filling, which looks like Portland
SOAAASA's Nhu ftsssuv tuC ubDSI Sul-
face Of the safe, which was Of sheet iron.
Through this hole the powder or other ex-
plOsive was introduced into the safe. and
probably ignitcd with . fuse.
1t is not known where the men conceal
ed themselves during the explosion. MIR.
LOcher thinks they went into the cellar,
though large trap door in the office floor,
but this would appear to be = very unsafe
retreat, as the floor might have been blown
into the cellar, inasmuch rs tho
trap-dOOr itself was shattered by the force
of the explosion. IL appears to be moro
probable that tho thieves after lighting the
match sought place of safety ON the out
side, where they could await the explosion
and watch for an opportunity Of re-enter-
ing the building.
The money stolen from the safe was con
tanned in 4 small iron box, and this box
the thieves carried off with them, and DO
trace Of it or Of them has yet been discOv-
cred.
There was about 5000 worth of fine
leather in Il large box in the Office, but no
attempt was made to steal any Of it.
1t seems almost incredible that so terri
bic an explosion could have occurred in 4
neighborhOAl so densely populated without
having attracted the special attention of
some of the miShbors, but although sew
eral heard it no one seems to have thought
worth while to inquire the cause.