The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-01
BROOKLYN SAFE ROBBERY.
METROPOLITAN LIFE " URdNOE
COMPANY LOSES $500.

The Thouns JeRerson BuiidinE the scene
OF the Boid Dynamite was Used
aud the EHpioaion Awoks the Jnnitor,
who blamed his Dog for the Disturbrnce &c.
The Thomas jefferson building In Court
square. Brooklyn. just around the corner from
Police Headquarters and the other public build
lngs, was the scene OF n bold robbery yesterday
morning. Burglars secreted themselves In the
building during the night. md in the quiet
dawn blew open the SAT- in the oflce OF the Met
ropolitan Life Insurance Company on the third
floor with dynamite nnd got of, without attract
Ing any notice. with It's contents. which included
81. 1868 In bills and sll6.43 In silver and coppcrs,
tho amount OF Mondays collections.
David Hnvron, the ~jauitor. and his family arc
tho only persons in the building ut night. and
their quarters are on the eighth floor. next the
roof. Mr.. Havron fixes the time of the robbery
ut IL few minutes before ; o'clock, for he was
awakened at that hour by IL noise which rcscm.
blcd tho explosion OF n giant hrccracker in the
street.
~ had been fast asleep he said, land
scarcely had my senses about me. | found my
wife awake. the baby crying. and the two dogs
barking. | got up and found that n uiccc Of
crockery in the room had been upset and sup
posing one OF the dogs was responsible for the
accident and the attendant noise, gaze HIN n
The robbery was not discovered until 2
O'CLOCK, wh'n Henry HOT. one UI the JnnltOr =
assistants. arrived and started to clean M the
Office of the insurance com pany. On entering the
onlce 81 superintendent Samuel :. NoShall. in
which the safe was kept. and which was par
titiOned of from tho main office, he discovered
that the door OF the safe was hanging by the
hinges: Tho leather handbag in which the
collections were kept for Transmission To the
bank was lying alongside. empty. lie aroused
the %janitor, and in n few minutes Police Captain
Miles O'ifeillv Of the Adams street station and
several detectives from Headquarters were sum
mOned to view the wreck
Tho CrackGtnRu hnu n ppfD mn rativplV pngV iOh
and 10 IS surprising that they ran the risk Of dis
Covery Ivy reSOrtinR to dyn unite. The safe was
an old fashioned ain. r,nnd with the tools which
the robbers left behind them could easily have
door. however. lust nhnvr the knob. and filing
II with dynamite rolled the Office carpet around
tho Snfr 80 a. to dchdcn thr sound ~. the CSplo.
sion. The explosion ripped of the rom b%ination,
crushed the cement packing. aud rarity M
hinged the door, eNpusi.g the contents. The
bag containing the money vas In the outer safe.
The inner safe. which contained only some
small change. was ais" forced open.
The burglars probably escaped into Red Hook
laiie by the rear basement. There was no evil
in the building had been tarnpcrcd with. and
this Is believed to establish the police theory
that The burglars had concealed them elves on
the premises before closing hours. The kit left
behind by tho burglars could he replaced for a
few dollars. and consisted of n brace. two bits, u
fnur-and- n-ha,f-pnuud hammer, n package of
putty. and several sticks Of dynamite.
Entrance 10 the insurance Office was made hv
climbing through one of the windows opening
into the hallway. The burglars took tho pre-
floor with wire. so rs to proven, the elevator
being used in case of n surprise. 1t is supposed
thew are the same gang who robbed the safe in
Chambers music store a fcw weeks ago.