The morning call., 1890-12-27
NOVEL AND DARING.
Expert Burglars Cut Through
Three Feet of Brick.

A novel and daring burglary, which netted
the perpetrators over $4,000 in silks and fine
imported linens, was committed in the build
ing at 276 Fifth avenue. The burglars, in
stead of resorting to the usual method OF
forcing door or transom, cut a hole in the
foundation-wall big enough to admit the
passage OF man, and through this they
made their way into the store of McNellis Sc
Campbell, who occupy the first floor and
basement. Once there they turned the care
fully kept stock upside down. The shelves
and tables were emptied. Packing cases
were opened and their contents thrown in
silks and linens were carried off, and what
the gang left Of these they probably could
not handle for lack of room in the express
wagon they used to make the daring job
success. Innings, ,drillings, cottons and in
ferior goods were dumped in heaps all over
the store and walked upon with muddy
boots. From this fact the members of the
firm are satisfied that the burglars were ac-
quanted with dry goods, for they could not
have exhibited more critical taste had they
been silk and linen experts.
An extraordinary feature Of the burglary
was the proximity OF the spot where the hole
was made, not only to a city fre-engine
house, but also to a pa.rol-boX, from which
three or four officers send hourly reports to
the Harrison-street Police Station. The
building directly next to the looted store is
frame structure that is used as tin-shop,
and between the two is passage that is less
than five feet wide The street end of the
passage is closed by high fence that is
used as billboard. The fence prevented
anybody passing the spot from seeing the
burglars, but it could not have shut out the
noises the burglars must'have made during
the five or six hours it took them to cut
through three feet of solid masonry. To do
this they used chisels and hammers, whose
heads they probably wrapped with cloth to
deaden the sound of the blows
From the appearance of the building and
its surroundings it is presumed that the
burglars made their way into the passage as
soon as they thought they would be safe
from detection and began the delicate and
at the same time labor ious task of cutting
through the wall 1t was delicate task be-
cause they had to avoid noise, and laborious
because every brick had to be taken out
separately and carefully laid away SO it
operations. A builder who examined the
breach yesterday afternoon said nnhesitat-
inglv that the gang must have worked at
least six hours before they got man into
the basement. Once the wall was pierced,
however. it was plain sailing for them, be-
cause all they had to do was to go through
the stock at their leisure. select what they
wanted ana leave the rest behind. The
goods they picked out for plumber they car
ried dowd into the basement and passed
through the yawning breach to waiting con-
federates, who placed them in the express
wagon. The hour that they quit is as much
matter Of conjecture as the hour they be-
gan, but from the thOroughness with which
they did their work it is believed they re-
manned in the store as late as o'clock yes
terday morning.-Chicago Herald.