Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-29
SPIRIT BURGLARS.
The Safe and TIL of Hessen-s Drug
store Robbed
By Thieves Who Cut All Sorts of
Queer Capers.

Mr.. George Hessen informed the police
yesterday morning that some time during
the night the safe and money-drawer in
his drug store,on the corner of Poplar and
Bull Run, had been robbed OF S2l6 80.
Mr.. Hessen stated that he was up until
about | O'Clock, when he went upstairs
over the store, where his family reside,
and went to bed. About an hour later
he was awaked by ring at his night-bell
and went down in the store to serve a Gus
toner. Upon his return to his room he
fell asleep and was not again disturbed
during the night. In the morning he
found that his sale, which is of the Hall
patent, had been opened without violence
and that a wooden drawer containing
money had been gouged out and rifled.
4 small iron box, eight inches long, four
inches wide and two inches deep, made
to slide in as drawer, had been pulled
out and the bottom beaten out with q
hatchet. The thieves must have known
what they were doing, as they carefully
examined a number OF envelopes in the
| box, selected one in which a key to the
lock had been placed, tore open the en-
| velope and took the key out, undOing the
| lock. Nothing except Il Masonic badge
/ was taken from the iron box. The money
| drawer under the counter which has a
D
| about SIG it contained distracted. There
were no marks of violence upon it. In
| vestigations OF the most search
| ing nature were made yesterday by
! the police, and they made many
/ interesting discoveries. In the first place
| the manner of entrance was queer, even
! ior the yeriest tyros in the art OF burglary.
/ A small glass door opening on Poplar
| street was found to have been broken.
| A blow had been struck at the point
( where the dividing pieces OF the glass
| meet, and all four panes broken out. In
the corner OF the pane nearest the iasteu-
ing piece OF glass remained. Chief
/ Davis examined this and found that the
edge was worn and soiled, showing that
it had not been freshly broken. Mr.. Hes
sen stated, in explanation, that two of the
panes had been broken for some time. 1t
was thus made plain that the door could
have been easily unboltcd by anyone who
had cared to go to the trouble OF thrust
ing his arm through the already broken
pane, without going to the trouble OF
breaking out the whole sash. No sign OF
shattered glass could be found about the
door, and in explanation OF this circum-
stance Mr. IIessen said he had thrown it
into the slOp-baTrci. Mr.. Bamberger, a
clerk in the store, says positively that he
threw off the combination OF the safe-lock
before leaving the store, and that the till
was also securely locked. Mr.. Hessen
declares that he heard no noise
during the night. That the door
should have been broken in the manner
described when it was only necessary to
reach inand draw the bolt back; that 50
much risk had been taken in the matter
1 of breaking open the iron box in the store
when it could easily have been carried
away in ones overcoat pocket; that the
street lamp in front OF the store was burn.
ing all night, yet no one saw anything oI
the affair; that nothing OF all the noise
that must have been made was heard
though the family was sleeping upstairs
gives the affair such queer complexion
that the police don't know precisely what
TO think