Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-28

A-Safe.
B, c and D-Desks.
E-StOve.
F, F-Piles of boxes, eight or nine feet high.
G-Arrow pointing toward front Of store.
H-WindOw, where an entrance was made.
Window.
J-BaCk door.
K-Railing.
The burglars, who are believed to have
been three in number, made their way
from alley 8 over the fences and sheds TO
the rear of the store ROOM, and once there
they proceeded 70 gain an entrance into
the building. The window in the nCcth-
east corner, marked II, was selected rs
the point of attack and a small triangular
piece of glass was cut from the lower pOr-
ton of the upper sash, on the south side,
enabling the thieves TO loosen and remove
the long stick which held the lower sash
down by being braced against the top of
the sash and the top of the window frame.
This stick out of the way, the lower
sash was raised and the gang
entered. The safe fronts toward the rear
of the building, and as the entire rear OF
the store is cut off from observation from
the street by the high piles OF boxes, the
burglars lit a gas jet and went to work
with every assurance that they would not
be disturbed.
The safe, of Barnes make, was sized up,
and u hole drilled in the door about three
inches below a line running through the
center of the combination knob and the
handle which throws the bolts. This hole
was about the three-sixteenths of an inch
in diameter, but when through the outside
plate the "machinists" found they had
missed the lock. The hole was then
closed by driving u small boiler
rivet into it, the rivet evidently being
hot when forced in, and n new hole, three
eighths of an inch in diameter, Twas drilled
higher up, between the combination knob
and the handle. This hole penetrated Just
ut the end of the lock, and was in an eX-
cellent position. A large quantity of
powder was then blown into the hole, q
piece of fuse inserted ard then the safe
was covered with one or two overcoats and
a number of empty sacks, to deaden the
noise of the explosion, while q h~alf-dozen
~valises, belonging to the firms travelling
men, were placed on the floor. in front OF
the safe, to catch the door and prevent its
making a noise as it fell. The telephone
was also cut loose, and stood up in a corner,
lest the report should make itself felt at
the Central office.
The fuse must have been fired Just about
three O'Clock, as the bakers in the Wheeling
Bakery COmpany's building heard q dull
report about that SINE, but they paid no
attention to il, and the burglars, finding
that no alarm had been given, once more
tackled the safe. The wooden drawers
surrounding the iron cash box were broken
open with a jimmy and removed, and the
cash box itself taken out and opened. The
money contained in it, together with a
number of papers, vas gathered up, and
the gang packed up their drills, jimmys,
hammers and cold-chisels and departed,
first, however, going through a number OF
drawers in the desks in search of valua-
bles. e.
When the store was opened in the morn
ing the gas jets in the portion used as an
office were found in full blast, and the man.
gled remains Of the safe lying about in con-
fusion.
The authorities were at once notified,
and Captain Smith, Lieutenant Juukins
and ex-Chief Tom Bennett were soon view
ing the ruins. 1t was at first thought that
between $500 and $500 had been taken,
but last night Mr.. w. B. McMechen said
he thought the sum was not over $475.
There is no doubt that the job was the
work of professionals, and they are evil
IDENTIFY the anne parties who cracked the
Wheeling Beef Company's safe, q week or
SC ago. 1t is thought the actual work was
done by foreign talent, coached by one or
two local crooks, but nothing of a definite
character has yet manifested itself.
Last night several merchants, who had
q large amount of yaluables OF cash on
hand, placed guards in their store rooms
as a precautionary measure.