The daily gazette., 1881-08-01
FIRST EDITION.
AN EARLY MORNING BURGLARY.

Burglars Enter the City Tax COIlec.
tors' Office and Attempt to Blow
Open the Safe, but Make u sswa-
ter.haul."
The startling discovery was made
this morning that the City Tax Col
lectors' Office, No. 10 E. Sixth street,
had been entered and an unsuccessful
attempt made to blow open the safe.
The first intimation of the burglary
was had by Mrs. Eliza Fraz ger, the
colored woman who sweeps out the
city offices. This morning she went TO
the Water Department building, Sixth
and King streets, shortly after three
O'Clock, for the purpose of getting her
work done early, and as she entered
the building noticed man standing
on the Hanover Church corner, across
the street. He wus small man,
wearing dark clothes. She watched
him through window for eeveral
minutes, and then lighting the gas
commenced her sweeping. The light
ing of the gas seemed to have started
the man ON tho corner, as when Mrs.
Frazer looked for him a few minutes
later he had dlsappea ed.
Soon afterwards Mrs. Frazer went
TO the Tax Collectors office, for the
purpose of giving it a sweeping, but
on trying the door found she could not
get it open, although her key turned
the lock. she then bee anne frightened
aud hurried home.
About o'clock, Martin j. Mealey,
clerk for Collector Dennis Kane, ar.
rived at the office, but like Mrs. Fra
zer was unable to get the front door
open. He went around to the rear
aud found the door opening to the
City Hall yard open, while the inside
door was upfas'ened Opening the
latter door he found the room full Of q
dense smoke, whereupon he immedi-
ately raised one of the windows to all
low it TO escape. A glance showed
him that burglary had been attempt
ed.
The safe, which stands beside tho
front door, WIS found to have an open
Ing cut in the door, near the lock,
about three inches long and an inch
and a quarter wide. The hole thus
made had evidently been filled with
powder and the charge exploded,
which caused the smoke noticed by
Mr.. Mealey. The powder was evil
IDENTIFY not packed very tightly as the
safe was not phased by the explosion,
and no one in tho neighborhood heard
any noise. The front door of the office
had been pried open with a jimmy,
and the burglars, after getting in,
fastened it tightly with two largo
screws. They left by the rear door,
and in doing 30 had to pass through
the City Hall yard, and almost within
| reaching distance of the police station.
They left behind a fine silk umbrella
and good pen-knife, and pieces OF
fuse, which had been used 10 set of
the charge, were found on the floor
A political chart, containing pictures
| of Hayes and Wheeler, had been fast.
ened over the transom, probably to
prevent any light from being seen on
Sixth street.
1t is evident that the bur. lars were
frightened off by the unexpected arri.
val of Mrs. Frazer, though even haG
they succeeded in Blowing open th,
safe, they would have got very liltls
money-not more than $15 or $lS. Mr.
Provost had placed about 81 800 il
checks in the safe, but they weuld no
have benefited the burglars, thcugl
the city might have been put to Sc
rious inconvenience by their loss.
| During Saturday collectors Proves
and Kane took in over $50 ,000, which
the burglars evidently knew an,
hoped to capture part of it. Th
collectors, however, by special arrange
ment with the Union Bank, have bee
making deposits at seven o'clock i
the evening during the past week, 8
as to avoid carrying large sumove
night.
The burglary gave evidence of hav
ing been committed by men making
pretensions t, professional ability
though it was very bunglingly pei
I, rmcd. They damaged the safe 8
that it could not be opened this morn
ing, and the manufacturers, MessrI
, Farrell & Herring, Philadelphia, wi
be applied to il 1t cannot be opened
; parties in this city.
, ANOTHER ATTEMPT.
During last night an attempt wa
, also made to burglarize the news stoi
, of E. s. r. Butler, No. 420 Market 81
jimmy ks being plainly apparei
on the rear door and window shuttle
. which, however, were not forced opel
The burglars probably reached Il
rear door by means of an alley fro
+. Fifth street., and either were frighte
i cd away or gave up the affair as ba
job.
: 1t looks as If there is gang of bu
glars in The city, and people had be
ter keep careful watch over the
premises.
Locked Up.