The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-16
BOIdness Often Shields
the Criminal.
A Fact Demonstrated by the
Recent Ockel Robbery.
How Mr.. Linke Was Cleaned Out OF
Everything he Possessed.

That was very daring robbery at
OckePs jewelry store on Sunday, and
one the very boldness of which attracts
special attention even though the total
value OF the goods taken was not very
large 1t seems almost impossible that
such a Job could be done in broad day
light and IN the very heart of the city,
without attracting attention and leading
10 the immediate arrest OF the culprits.
IL is fact, however, that boldness quite
frequently serves as cover for crime,
anc such appears to have been the case
in the Ockel robbery. Had the robbers
been Speaking about the place they would
probably have attracted attention, but
when they had the hardihood 10 load up
a team with their plunder in the full
light of day. their daring saved them
from discovery.
A robbery somewhat similar. but en-
failing much heavier loss was that COM
mitted in the jewelry store OF Mr.. Linke
MT the corner of McNeal lane and West
minister street some time ago. In the
latter case the robbers practically cleaned
out the store, smashing two safes and taxi
ing everything of value in them. Those
men did their work within few OF the
the busiest street in tho city and vet they
were not heard, nor was the crime dis
covered until long after they had left the
city with their booty. There was in the
rear of Mr.. Linke's shop a store that had
been occupied as liquor saloon, but at
the time OF the robbery IL was vacant.
One day the agent for the property was
called upon by two men who said they
were thinking of starting saloon and
they wished 10 look over the premises.
The opportunity was given them and
off m irg announced
they did not desire to hire, as the place
was not exactly what they wanted.
However, they bad gained their end.
They saw that nothing but a partition
separated the liquor saloon from the
jewelry stored in the front, and they also
saw that the saloon would give them an
opportunity to do their work with the
least.possible danger of discovery. Some
time after having. declined to rent the
saloon the robbers began work. First,
they pried open the door of the vacant
saloon with jimmy. This done, they
removed the old lock, substituting new
one OF the snap kind. From this lock
they carried heavy cord TO a window
out of which they took light OF glass.
The cord was so Arranged that a person
on the outside could, by reaching
through the hole in the window, left by
the removal OF the glass, pull upon it and
unlock the door. The reason for this
arrangement was that the robbers had to
select time to enter tho saloon when no
person was in sight to see them. Had
fhcy depended upon key they might he
delayed in inserting 1t, thus increasing
the danger of discovery. Their scheme
worked admirably, for while they must
have gone In and out many times no one
afterward remembered OF having seen
them do SO. Moreover the patrolmen
covering the beat tried the door In max
ing their rounds and finding IL always
locked had no reason to suspect that any
thing was amiss.
But the work inside was going on all
The tine. The partition between the sa-
loon ana the jewelry'store was cut away
near the floor affording ample means OF
commun ication between the two places.
When all this had been accomplished and