Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-16
A TASCOTT TRICK.
Bold Burglary in Rock Island Last
Night
Grocery Entered and safe
Piifered-FruIIiess Attempt 10 bur
gIarize stewart A MOntgOmery's-A
switchman's House Robbed.

Bill Tascott, or some person or person
} of equal boldness and audacity, pai(
their respects TO Rock Island last night
and the neat and novel way in which tn,
visit was made was such that il will bt
remembered for some time to come
1t was probably after midnight
that cracksmen entered Trues
dales grocery, on Second avenue,
second door east OF Eighteenth street. by
drilling through the door and lock, bored
a hole into the safe near the combination,
smashed the inner receptacle, ransacked
the contents, took all there was of value
some $40 in money. plated cheap
watch valued, perhaps, at $3-helped
themselves to fruit, took box OF ten
cent straight Havanas, and decamped.
Whoever the burglar was. he was an
expert in his business-he was profes-
sional, there is no doubt about that. The
instrument he used was apparently half
inch bit, with which he bored a hole
through the door frame into which he must
have placed leg screw. Thus he forced
the cap off and then there was no diff
Guilty in opening the door. A three eighths
iuch hole was drilled through the heavy
safe door close to the dial. striking within
about One.half inch of the dog bolt which
connects the combination with the latch.
1t was the aim evidently to strike the dog
bolt but missing it, a sledge hammer and
cold chisel was introduced and the dog
bolt punched until it was broken, and
then the combination was useless. In
performing this operation, loud noise
must have been made. The little door
to the iron cash box was locked, |
and chiscl and hammer was used and |
the entire box jerked out. In it was
found about $40 in money and plated |
watch which were taken, the drawers to |
the safe, all of which were locked, pried |
open and ransacked. This morning the |
floor was covered with matches and
orange Feelings and figs. and stool near
the safe showed that the cracksmen had
taken lunch before departing. They
helped themselves to a box of ten>cent
cigars and then retreated through rear
At Stewart & Montgomerys store on
the corner they drilled holes of the same
size about the Yale lock and cap to the
front door, and while they ruined the
ock were unable to force an entrance
they also attempted to get in the side
loor by boring hole through, aiming at
he cap. but the. wood being old and
often, the thread of the screw slipped
md they were foiled.
The bold burglaries were evidently
Committed between midnight and 3
o'clock. Shortly after IL, Mr.. J. l..
Iaas observed two men walking up and
own Second avenue in the vicinity of the
tore and was at first suspicious of their :
ltentions. but thinking there must be a
oliceman along soon, paid no attention
D them.
AT about 2 O'Clock this morning David
'infeldt night switchman in the C., r. l
p yards, went up into the yards to at
End to some switching, and when he re-
lrncd to the switchmen's house in the
over end of the Rock Island yards and
ack of the Cable mansion, he found1
Eat his locker and that of another
vitchman named Henry Lempert, had
cen broken into and SO coat belonging
, him, new garment he had worn but
vice, and coat and jacket belonging to
empert gone. A glove on the floor of
e shanty was all that was left. The
'eds of burglary were probably all COM
tilted by the same persons.
The police have not the slightest clue
the marauders. 1t must have taken at &
asst half an hour to commit the Second
'enue burglaries, and there certainly
ould have been policeman somewhere
so important neighborhood at that A
ne. But where was he2 Carrier Nc IS
lrrah observed two suspicious looking z
1ividuals making tracks for the suburbs
o o'clock this morning, when he was
king his early mail collections. Had
lac" heard of the burglary at that time .
would doubtless have halted the stran- h
rs and made good catch.
Chas. Fiebig, the locksmith, says the Il
leme of using leg screw on the out- y
a % Ii; To- h., &c, /
ng new in the annals of daring bur- s.
aries. Fiebig believes the tools with
ich the burglars were armed were a IN
e-sixteenth inch leg screw, a monkey 81
ench brace and one-half inch bit, a h
ee-eighths inch Morse twist drill, q
nch and cold chisel--a Kit of tools
n as professional burglars woul
'ry.