The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-10
Attempt Made to Blow Open
Darling COmpany's Safe.
Safe Did Not Yield TO Force Of Ex-
plosi0n, and All Fled.
Gang Supposed to Be the Same That Held
Up Mr.. Kingston In Cranston.

Three masked men, whose personal ap-
pearance was not unlike that of the des-
perat bighwaymen who held up and
assaulted Joseph Kingston in Cranston
yesterday morning. visited Pawtucket at
an early hour this morning and for about
an hour held possession of the Office OF
the L. b. Darling Fertilizer Company at
6H Mineral Spring avenue. That they
only succeeded in running good safe and
went away empty handed was not their
fault, for they showed that they were
desperate men who were ready to take
any risks and GO to any extreme in order
to obtain money.
1t was about 12:40 O'Clock this morning
that Edward Gilligsn, the night watch
man at the fertilizer works, wh0 was on
his hourly rounds, was stopped by three
masked men. He had just left the stable,
where he had gone to fix the watchman's
clock. and as he closed the door the men
stepped from the shadow of the building
and each pointed a revolver at his head.
Gilligan at once stopped and threw up
his hands in compliance with their de-
msnd, the spokesman threatening to kill
gagged him, tied his hands behind him,
secured his feet tightly, and, taking him
back to the barn, left him lying on the
floor.
The three men then crossed the yard
to the Office where two OF them went to
work upon the safe while the third kept
watch outside. The safe was a big one,
but the thieves succeeded in drilling
hole through the door and in pumping
| in a charge of powder. For some reason
| however, the explosion failed to force
the safe and, probably frightened at the
noise they had made, the men left the
| place without securing anything Of
| value.
just before O'Clock this morning
Patrick Riley, the night fireman, became
suspicious that something was wrong.
| He had not heard any unusual noise but
| for nearly four hours he had been watt
ing for Gilligsn to appear. 1t had al
ways been his custom to appear in the
engine room at least once every hour
and when the third hour passed and the
watchman did not come Riley went In
search OF him. He went from one end OF
! the worksto the other end and not being
able to find Gilligan he went at once to
the home of Superintendent William II.
| Boss and notified him that something
must have hap pened to the watchman.
Mr.. Boss dressed hurriedly and imme-
| diately returned to the works with Riley.
| They made another search and at last
found the watchman lying on the floor
Of the stable.
In the meantime, however, their visit
to the office lad shown them that an
attempt had been made to force the safe.
Scraps OF iron and broken bits OF the
safe we're found lying on tho floor while
burned matches were strewn about tho
room.
Had the thieves succeeded 10 opening
the safe, however. they would have had
little reward for their pains. For some
time the company has made IL n ruls to
leave no money in the safe and all that
was there last nignt was trine over 80
in small change.
GiIligan suffered but little ill-efect
| from h1s exDerlence. he WAS cnlileu
through from his four hours wait OH tine
cold floor OF the stable and MS nerves
had been shaken, but beyond this he was
a. well as ever and expects to bo II IFS
post again tonight.
The men left ABSOLUTELY no clue tcti1d
them and the police who are invostl ,a-
ing the case are com plstely at sea IN lhs
matter. They are OF the npinioD, how.
ever, that the men are those who Operated
In Cranston yesterday morning and .hcy
believe that their iIl-luck viii drive tttn
to new operations very soon.
This morning p. W. Baxter. the safe
manufacturer sent a man TO Pawtucket
to open the safe door, AZ the thieves had
succeeded In breaking the Sartins Green
leaf lock and The beokkeeper could net
ret his books.