The Portland daily press., 1895-07-06
BLEW OUT THE WINDOWS
But the Burglars Got $500 and Nobody
Heard the Racket.

Providence, July 5.-Safe cracksmen
had things all their own way in the very
heart of Providence last night, and from
the shattered strong box of the CONT
mental steamboat company secured $780,
The job was done by the boldest and
most skilled professionals, who left a
number of their tools behind, but no clew
whatever upon which the increased
detective force OF police officers can make
the slightest Roadway
The offices of the Continental steam
boat company are located in a two story
wooden building on the Providence river
front at Dyer, Friendship and Hay streets
and the place is patrolled all night by
special. and regular officers. Besides this
the men employed on the feet OF excur-
sion steamers are moving about the docks
most of the night.
1t was II 40 at night when the last
employe of the company left the office
and locked the doors. He had placed the
money taken from the sales of down-the-
river Sb has tick tickets tho IN d the SAFE
of years. The strong box is 4 1-2 feet high
and about 10 across the face. 1t is built
into partition and its back is covered
with box. Only the face of the safe
showed in the business office.
Not two feet away, to the left hand side
of the safe, is window facing the three
streets upon which the office Is located.
The safe was placed at this window and
a lighted gas jet was always burning at
night, SO that the policemen on the beat
might see that every thing was all right.
The safe cracksmen gained entrance to
the lower floor Of the building through
the street door, and after getting inside
an ordinary bitt was used to fasten the
door with.
1t was easy work getting from the
ground floor to the business offices and
counting house on the second floor, where
the safe was accessible.
The robbers went to work on the face
of the safe with wedges and ch1sels, and
cut the door knob off first, They then
wrenched the lock knob out, and a hole
was cut into the half inch steel front just
over the two knobs. The explosive used
was probably dynamite, for the explosion
must have been something fearful in its
effects, and the amount OF noise 1t
created. The whole front of the safe was
blown to peices There was big hole in
the outside sheet of iron which faced the
| door. The inside frame of the door was
| cracked and splintered, and there was not
enough left Of the locks and bolts to put
together.
| The lock box that surrounded the vita
parts of the door still chung to the inside
sheet of steel. The filing of the safe door
was blown about the office, and it covered
everything this morning. like chatf in ;
grlst mill. The windows near the doc
of the safe were blown out, and, although
glass covered the sidewalks on all tn
three streets mentioned and the stron!
electric light almost in the front OF tn
window glared all night long, tn
robbery was not discovered until o'clocl
this morning.
An employee of the company finall
made the discovery, and then the polio
were called in from all the nearby beats
and the squad of detectives was sum
moned from central headquarters
An examination Of the safe was made
1t was found that everything of value ha
been taken. The craftsmen had gathers
up money in bills, silver and even th
cents. After the safe had been blown
pieces it was apparently the work of
moment in getting. the plumber together
The robbers escaped from the buildin
through the same door they entered.