The Portland daily press., 1894-05-12
AN OLD SAFE.
1t Withstands the Skill Of This Gem
eratiOn's Cracksmen.

But Escape-A Variety of Tools Left
Behind.
The village of West Buxton, or Mod
Grafton, as it was called of old, was
thrown into state of much excitement
yesterday morning. by a bold attempt
which had been made to break into the
safe of the Buxton and Hollis Savings
Bank. This savings institution has its
Office and vault in the northerly of the
two brick blocks which are owned by
AK. P. Lord, ESQ.,, and are the princi-
pal business houses in the village.
The burglars gained an entrance
through rear window, which opened
from wood room off of the banking
room. Thence they forced open doors
until they reached the main room. The
high iron railing was scaled, and the
gate opened from the inside.
Work then began on the safe. From
evidence discovered since. it is known
that they had, besides their own equip
ment, a sledge and other tools taken from
J.F. Sands's blacksmith shop, and
carriage robe stolen from the shed OF
Henry Fogg, who lives mile below the
village on the road to Bar Mills.
1t is not known how long the burglars
worked on the safe, but about a. m.
yesterday morning, several residents were
awakened by series of explosions.
Mrs. Mary Frost. who keeps the tele-
graph office near the bank, was awak-
ened, and in turn aroused Mr.. Wilbur
Townshend, the barber. He dressed
hastily, took his shot gun and started
out to find the burglars. About the
same time, Postmaster Howard Boulter
arrived with his shot gun. Together
they prospected about, finally finding
the open window in the srear portion of
the Savings Bank block. Thinking that
the burglars might yet be inside, one
guarded the window, while the other
aroused the neighbors. But the burglars
had already fled up across the field to
the Gorham road. Mrs. Joshua Graham.
who was awakened by and heard three
explosions, thinks she saw one OF the
burglars as he went across the field.
Very soon, Clifford Boulter. Conrad
Harmon and others found ira ok of the
burglars, and followed it for about a
mile, until it was lost near the bag mill
on the road towards Gorham. 1t is
thought that they took refuge in the
large tract of swamp and woods known
as Thompson's woods, between West
Gorham and West Buxton, and that they
were in hiding there yesterday.
Inside the bank there were numerous
evidences that the burglars meant bust
ness. The Buxton and Hollis Savings
Bank is the only one in that portion of
York county. 1t has deposits amounting
to about $500, 900, but very little of this
is kept in the walt. Only enough for
daily needs is kept, the remainder being
deposited in Portland. There was about
$1,000 there Thursday night, when the
burglars made the attempt.
Yesterday, Treasurer Charles E. Weld
and Assistant Treasurer C.P. Harmon
were busy taking an inventory OF the
articles left by the burglars, and trying
to get the safe open. The vault of the
bank. is of brick, about 20 inches thick,
and closed by double iron doors, locked
by com biDation locks. The inside safe
is an old lille burglar and freproof"
safe. made at Troy, NY, in 1851. 1t is
about three feet high, and four feet
wide, and closes with two doors which
are locked by an old fashioned combin-
alton lock, such as uses key. The safe
bouohf cooopd-bond frop, Moultoo
& Rogers of Portland, in 1868, when the
bank started. The officials of the bank
attribute the failure of the burglars to
the fact that the safe was SO old that
crooks of this generation did not under
stand it. This is probably SO, for
there was no trouble in getting through
the two iron doors of the vault. A drill
hole and little powder beside the lock,
not only opened the door, put blew one
of the com bination dial plates through
the window and far into the street.
But the old safe was not SO easy.
the ample crack at the top of the door,
but it seems to have run out at the bot
tom as fast as it was turned in, although
a bar of Fairbanks's brown soap was
partly used to stop these cracks. An
attempt was made to attack the lock
through the knob of the com bination.
That was blown off, but still the old
safe stood. Another attack with drills
was made, but without success. and fin
ally, a last charge of dynamite was put
by the lock. Before this was fired the
burglars were frightened away.
They left pint flask partly filed with
nitro glycerine, a dynamite cartridge,
a cake of soap. a drill brace and half a
dozen drills, about four pounds Of gun
powder, part of it in bottle and more
in an oblong cone-like paper package. an
oil can, etc.
A Portland paper of May 9th was used
to wrap some of these articles and 9TH
ers were in the leaves of large blood
and thunder novel in the pages of which
"Kinky Bill finds himself in a tight
spot" and the heroine declares "Father
! can't marry Allen Rexford; hate and