Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-08-11
A REPORT!
And the Door TO Albert westhoven's
Safe is Found Open.
A Mystery That viii Probably Never
Reach a Solution.

As will be seen in another column of the
NORTHWEST, a most highly respected citizen,
Albert Westhoven, died, his funeral taking
place last Sunday.
he was quite well-to-do, owning number
of farms and as presumed in all cases of his
kind, had some ready money.
His home up to within several months has
been on East Clinton street, but becomi Jg
tired of the town, and thinking that a little
fresh, country air might do him good, he
moved to one of his farms in Freedom town
ship where he renamed until his death.
The house in town was closed up just as it
was and remained SO during the family's ab-
sence.
Among other valuables in the house was a
safe containing his will, deeds for farms,
and also money.
On the dPy of his funeral the house was
re-opened and some 15O guests from the
country entertained.
The time of the funeral was l O'Clock and
of course at that time there were but few
people in charge of the house-possibly
neighbors who kindly assisted the family
during the bereavement.
1t was just at the close of the funeral rites,
fifteen minutes of o'clock, that the young
ladies in charge were startled, if not to say
severely frightened, by loud report that
emanated from the room containing the
safe.
| Recovering their temporary fright anG
rushing to the room the safe door was found
open! This, in broad daylight and no one
near the house save the affri GIFTED young la
dies
On the return of the family from the fun
eral the safe was examined by Mrs. West
hoven who found its contents to be undis
turbed.
F. Buhlert, of Defiance, the agent who
sold the safe to Mr.. Westh oven, was sen
for, and arriving in the city Monday mad,
an examination of the safe.
On being interviewed by NORTHWEST
scribe, Mr.. Buhlert said that he could no
do othe rwise than associate the report will
the condition of the safe when examined
that it was in good condition, while if an!
explosive was the agency the safe doc
would be in more or less demoralized con.
dition. His opinion then is, the safe wa
opened by some person with dishonest mo
tives who was scared away before An en-
trance further than the first door was made
The person in question then must neces
sarilly have been in possession of the comb
nation.
This is impossible as it was positive fac
no one knew the combination save Mr.
Westhoven himself. Then again, the key t,
the inner safe was lying just within tn
outer door and any one who had succeeded
in getting past the combination for dishon
est purposes certainly would not stop whel
success and the means with which to accom-
plish it were within his grasp.
The opinion is entertained by many tina
the lock underwent freak, to which al
pieces of mechanism are subject, and tn
bolts, seemingly without any cause whatso
ever, shot back and the force produce
thereby swung the door open.
Such, considering all points of the strang
happening, is the only PLAUSIBLE theory
nothwithstandin that there is no preceden
so to speak, in the history of safes where
safe unlocked itself save those containing
time lock.
The affair has caused no little speculatio
as to its cause.