Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-18
TWO SAFE BLOWERS
An Arrest in Baltimore Probably Saves
This City.
Professional Craeksmen Who Were
Working This Way-The Crimes
Charged Against Them.

News of the arrest in Baltimore of two
alleged professional cracksIhen, James Wal
den and Herman Bfandenburg, was receiv-
ed at police headur arters here with de-
gree of satisfaction experienced only by
the police when a dangerous criminal is
put out of the way. Whens the safes were
robbed in New York only few days ago
it was feared that the burglars would
come this way, and when the Baltimore
jobs were committed 1t was felt reasonably
certain that this city would be visited. And
the burglars would probably have come
here and operated had not they been cap
tured in Baltimore. Fearing they would
come here, the police had already notified
some big firms. where watchmen are not
employed to leave their safes open and to
remove all valuables. 1t was notice Of
this kind given by Lieut.. Vernon several
years ago that saved Stephenson Brothers
damaged safe and robbery.
The safe blowers had operated in Vir-
ginia, and when Lieut.. Vernon saw by the
papers that they were working this way
he sent around the usual notice. The re-
suit was that when the burglars visited
Stephenson's Office they found the safe open
and empty. In this way damage to the safe
and the loss of money prevented.
The police here are very much interested
In the Baltimore case just now, and it is
likely that some of Inspector Hollinberger's s
men will go over to Baltimore and see the
prisoners. who were arrested by Detectives
BarrlnSer and Hussey of the monumental
city.
The Baltimore Work.
The offenses with which the two men are
charged are blowing open the safes in the
Office of Phillips Bros, bottlers 600 and GIL
South Caroline street, February II. and in
the bottling establishment of Henry l..
1-ernkuhl. :12 and 514 South Eutaw street,
last Saturday night.
Capt. Freeburger of the Baltimore de-
tectiVe force had Information that safe
blowers were in the city before the safes
We're blown.
Brandenburg made a full confession to
the police, in which he said he had known
" alden only about two weeks, and that the
latter put up the jobs to rob the Safes
Walden has but little to say. He admits
mat he was arrested in New York for
similar work three years ago.
His arrest is regarded as particularly
important. and was the result of a clever
piece of work on part Of Detectives Bar
renser and Hussey. Walden is known un-
der many aliases. among them Ward
Warne. Welsh, Whitney and Wesley.
fortunately for the people of Baltimore
the alleged safe blowers had not received
much booty before their arrest They were
given hearing today.
Interesting Here.
Inspector Holnberger is so much interest
ed in the arrest of Walden that he will get
what he can of his record and assist the
Baltimore authorities. much as possible
1t is possible that in years past this man
was connected with the blowing of some
safes here. There has been no work of this
kind TO amount to anything done here since
the robbery of the safe in the office of the
ferry company at the foot of 7th street, and
that was done, the police claim, by Billy
Williams and his confederates, but the men
whom Williams implicated were acquitted.
When the news CT Walden's arrest reached
fere this morning it was thought that his
description tailed with the description given
of the man who robbed Mr.. Fraser of the
Hotel Raleigh of more than 500 worth of
jewelry last year.
But an investigation Of that case con-
WINGED the detectives that Walden is not
the man who committed that robbery, for
some of the men employed about the hu-
tel identified the picture of J. j. White,
alias Fl. f. Lee. a well-known hotel work
er as the man who was in the hotel AT
the tir1e of the robbery, and who dsap-
peared soon after the disappearance from
Mr.. Fraser's room of the valuable jewelry.
AS soon as the Baltimore authorities
send copies of the mans photograph here
an extra effort will be made to nave him
identified if he really figured in any crook
ed work here.