The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-31
The Marauders Were Not of the
Professional Class, but They
Were Thorough.
MONEY AND GOODS OBTAINED.
The Plumber Carried OFF in a Wholesale
Manner While Patrolmen Were
on Duty Near By.

ALAMEDA, CAL, Jan. 30.-This city
was startled yesterday morning by the
discovery that nine places of business had
been burglarized the night before and all
the money that could be found, together
with some other plumber, had been carried
of. Such wholesale house breaking was
never known before in the history of the
city and has seldom been heard of any,
where, and the burglaries of a year and a
half ago were not so extensive, though
more startling.
The burglaTiZed district is the principal
business block of Park street, bounded by
Central and Santa Clara avenues, Oak and
Park streets. 1t is one block from the old
police Office and about the same distance
from the new. 1t is the very center of the
business life of the city.
The main police beat is right along the
street under the caves o. the houses broken
into and robbed.
Midway between Park and Oak streets is
an alleyway running half way through the
block. Most of the stores broken into
back up on this aneyway, and were en-
tered from the rear. The places burglar
lied and the results of each burglary were
as follows:
Hauch's grocery-stoTe, 1411 Park street;
S47 so in coin, a gold watch and 81 worth of
stamps taken.
Ernst Bros grocery-store, 1417 Park street;
S34 in coin taken.
W. Y. Smiths creamery, 1413 Park street;
nothing taken.
A. Halls confectionery, 1419 Park street;
A. AkesSon's liquor-store, 1929 Park street;
So in coin taken.
L. s. Silberberg, elothing-store, 1431 Park
street; clothing, silk handkerchiefs and other
articles, of the total value OF 500, taken.
Standard Meat Market, Santa Clara avenue !;
nothing taken.
Falcon Cyclery, Central avenue; SI6 in coin
taken.
Central Cafe, Central avenue; nothing taken.
Unsuccessful attempts were made to
enter, the cigar-store of William Yin gig,
J. B. Eosburgh's hardware-store and one
or two other stores.
Entrance was gained with a Jimmy,
which was used to prv open doors and
windows. The marks left indicate that
the implement was not skillfully used. At
some OF the places the burglars must have
made noise enough to well-nigh wake the
dead. In Hauch's store they knocked g.
heavy butter-box off a shelf, which fell
upon a fiye-gallon can of coal oil, smash
ing it in. They seemed to take their time,
and evidently had no fear of molestation.
The Office in Hauch's store is in front,
against front window. They ransacked
all the drawers and boxes of documents,
setting them and their contents out on the
counter, and finally found one that con-
tanned $34 in coin. 1t must have taken
half an hour TO 60 through the place.
In Ernst Bros store, two doors away,
they performed their work leisureIy and
comfortably. They lighted a candle, and
a trail of grease from it was found all over
the store. They broke open the cash
register and secured $46. They also opened
can of condensed milk, for what purpose
does not appear.
At Akesson's liquor-store, besides taking
all the money in the cash-drawer, they
Gam pied the liquors at the bar.
At Silverberg's they carried desk into
the back room and went through all the
drawers and papers, taking scarf pins and
jewelry wholesale and all the silk hand
kerchiefs that they could carry.
How such wholesale burglary could have
been carried out in a manner not at all
sEillful and covering so much time, with
its attendant noises and lights, without
the attention of the police, is
what is amazing the people.
The police not only patrol Park street,
but are in the habit of strolling at inter-
yals down the blind alley where the burg
lars operated.
One of the patrolmen declares that he
made two visits to the alley, one about
II 80 O'Clock and the other at 1:30. He
saw nothing wrong on his frst trip, but
on the second trip found some of the rear
doors open.
He investigated, and soon discovered
that burglaries had been committed, and
he gave the alarm. The burglars had
made good their escape, however, for after
the alarm was given not a single suspicious
character could be found in Alameda.