Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-10-26

John S. Grraybili in this town was entered
and the safe blown open, and between $40
and $50 in silver coin taken therefrom. with
several thousand dollars in promissory
notes, and other valuable papers, which have
all or nearly all been found and returned TO
tie owner, excepting the silver money that
the burglars took with them. The papers
were found by the side of log on the Pat
terson side of the river, south of the river
bridge. 1t Is conjectured that the payers
were examined at that place by the parties
that took them from tie safe. Some time
during Thursday night, or rather Friday
morning, say about two O'Clock, Mrs. Nc
knight, living on Main street, heard queer
noise. She arose and looked about the
premises upstairs. Had she known what
was going on across the alley north of her
house she might have given an alarm, and
then doubtless the safe in the Graybill store
would not have been exploded, for the noise
that aroused her was made, il is believed,
by the thieves getting into jesse Howe's
blacksmith shop for tools to execute the
burglary. There are three windows on the
south side Of the shop looking out on an
alley that runs from Main to Water street
The burglars selected the middle window to
operate on. They took out the lower sash
and carried il away some distance from the
window and carefully set it up against the
eide of the shop. Through the large open
ing thus secured they entered the building.
They took lot of matches out of n box
that was in desk that stood near the win
dow, and tossed the papers around proms-
crously. They examined or looked into a
drawer, and left it partly open on a bench
at the north side of the room. On the wall
above the bench, on shelves they found
ssMorse bit," brace, two chisels, ..tap
wrench" and s'punch." Howe believes
that the tap wrench was taken along SO as to
be of use in case it should have become
necessary 10 work "rearier' to enlarge
a drilled hole. What time the store was
entered is not known by any one excepting
The burglars. The chisels obtained in the
blacksmith shop were used to pry the
doors of the store open. The doors are
ss etore doors are usually made, double.
The chisels were showed between the doors,
and with the leverage thus secured The sta
pie in which the lock bolt rested when
turned out was brGken-the staple vas of
cast iron. The brace and Morse bit was
then put to work to bore hole into the
safe. The bit that was obtained at Howe's
shop was broken, but the burglars seem to
have been provided with another bit the
least bit larger than the one stolen from
Howe, as is easily discovered by one trying
10 insert a lead pencil into the holes drilled
into the safe door. Through the hole bored
in the door powder was worked and then set
off From the appearance CT the broken door
report of the xplosion must have been a loud
one. A number of citizens in town heard
dull thud during the night, and it is con-
jectured that the noise that they heard was
the explosion of the safe. From the ap-
pearance of the inside door of the safe it is
believed that 1t was also blown open. Gray
bill says that the inside door was not locked.
Daniel Pannebiker went to the railroad
about half-past O'Clock on Friday morn
ing. He saw light in the store-rooIn, but
did not go across the street to see what it
meant He believed that some one con-
nected with the place had gone to work
early.