The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-07-08
DARING ROBBERS.
PAUL, SUMMA ROBB Ed BY DES-
PERATE MEN.
THEY BLEW A SAFE DOOR OFF
And Then Fired Seven Shots at
Mr. Summa Who Attempted to
Interfere With Them-A Dar-
ing Crime Enacted.

A daring burglary was perpetrAted by |
desperate men IN Paul Summa's house on
South Main street at an early hour this
morning
At about two o'clock this morning Mr..
Summa retired to his sleeping apartments
after securing all the doors of his bar-room
and dwelling apartments. About an hour
later Mr.. and Mrs. Summa we're aroused |
from their slumber by the report of
smothered explosion, followed by the
sound of heavy weight falling upon the
floor of one of the apartments below.
Mr.. Summa sprang from his bed and
opened the door between his bedroom and
the hallway with the intention of descend
ing to the floor below to ascertain the
cause of the disturbance, but as he stepped
from the room a voice at the bottom of the
stairway warned him, Don't you come
down here, you ---- --, or III blow
your id head Off j"
Summa hurried back into his bedroom
and at the same moment the party at the
foot of the stairway commenced firing.
Seven revolver shots were fred in rapid
succession Six ploughed their way into
the wall at the side of the stairway on
which Mr. Summa's bedroom is located,
tearing the paper and plastering Another
shot lodged in the ceiling of the stairway,
just above where Mr.. Summs stood when
he was warned to retreat
The desperate method of the burglars
paralyzed Mr.. Summa for the time and
Mrs. Summa went into Mysteries. But after
the firing ceased boarders In the house de-
scended the stairway to the dining-room on
the first floor, The room was filed with
powder smoke and dust. The burglars had
disappeared.
When the smoke cleared away the large
safe which was in the room was found
standing about three feet from the wall
against which it stood when Mr.. Summa
retired to his sleeping apartment. The
door of the safe had been blown off and
was lying on the floor and against the op-
posite wall. Papers and pieces of gold and
silver that had been in the safe were strewn
about the floor. And under the safe was
found bag and pockelbook containing
5000 in paper, gold and silver, but $500 in
cash and 1857 worth of watches and other
jewelry were missing.
| An examination of the premises showed
chat the burglars had entered through a
window of the kitchen at the rear of the
dining-room The window sash was re-
moved after part of the outer casing had
been torn off The barglars then drilled a
hole through the top of the safe poured in
and ignited the powder and blew the door
clean from its fastonings. 1t was bung
ling job, such as would no doubt make pro-
foasional safe burglars smile A piece of
tallow candle about an inch and a half
long and miners hatchst and tho bullets
in the stairway were the only things the
desperate men left behind.
The finding of the 5000 is easily ex-
planned. When the safe was blown open
the heavy charge scattered all the contents
of the safe. The heavy bag and pocket
book dropped to the hoor and the safe, By
force of the conclusion, shot forward and
covered them, so that they escaped the
notice of the burglars.
1t is supposed that while the fellow stood
at the bottom of the stairway threatening
Summa and firing shots his companions
were engaged in gathering the plunder
and making their escape.
II is believed tha. three or more men
were implicated in the daring business
One of summa's boarders says he saw two
running away from the house.
Whatever the number may have been,
the indications are that the burglars were
town parties, that they were we'll acquainted
with the premises and kept close watch
upon Mr. Summas movements,
Mr.. Summa says that he could not recog-
nize the features Of the man who stood at
the bottom of the stairway as the light be-