Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-24
BURGLARS Do As THEY LIKE
Hold High Carnival of Robbery During
Sunday Night.
RECKLEssLY ABANDON ALL CAUTION
smash Glass Fronts and Crawl
Through the Holes. Looting stores
at Their Leisure and in
Apparent security.

Apparent security.
Five successful burglaries and one un.
successful attempt at bank robbery were
the net results Of Sundays nights work
accomplished by Council Bluffs burglars
Six citizens had carpenters and glazers at
work yesterday repairing the damage to
buildings. The detectives and police depart
ment put in part OF the time lamentlng that
a star member OF the burglars profession
was asked to leave the city late Sunday
evening instead of being invited to occupy
a steel couch in the city Jail.
There have been numerous burgaries in
this city, but none where such an utter
defiance Of the police and recklessness
of procedure were apparent as in
those that daylight revealed yes
terday morning. The first intimation that
anything was wrong was given Officer Gus
ter when he discovered on his regular
rounds that the gas Jet always kept burn
ing i'll front Of the vault in Ofhcer d Pusey's
bank had been extiLguished The Jet is
located so that 1t shows the vault from
the large windows in the Broadway front
OF the building, but gives a better view
from one Of the side windows on North Main
street II was about O'Clock when Custer
noted the absence OF the light and went
TO the side window to Investigate. Here
he found the glass broken and the window
raised, and believing that one lone officer
was incompetent to cope with a gang OF
bank burglars. he lost Lo time in summon
ing help from the central station. When
the officer returned with Captain Maltby
a thorough examination was made of the
bank. The window had been forced with a
Jimmy after a brick had been thrown
through the glass There were no marks on
the vault door or anything to indicate that
the burglars had gone further than putting
out the light 1t is believed that they were
in the building when the officer first APP
peared and made their escape when he went
TO the station to get help.
The investigation at the bank revealed !
the fact that the hardware store of =. c. I
DeVol in the building adjoining, had been /
robbed. but it was not until daylight that the I
full extent Of the depredations Of the |
thieves was discovered. II was then I
learned that the barn of w. c. Este1 had /
been entered and the thieves by this means I
got into the rear Of DeNol's store. Two |
windows had been broken in Estep's barn |
and the large carriage doors opened to pro- I
vide an easy means OF escape. DeNol's |
building is protected by heavy steel shutters. |
A crowbar was used to force one OF these /
and the window then raised with the pro- |
fessiona Jimmy. The cash register was |
broken open ard S6l0 taken from it. Three |
new revolvers. a new shotgun and number (
Of pocketknives were taken. An attempt :
had been made to operate on the office safe,
but after battering the front OF II the (
lob was abandoned. The burglars departed .
through Esteps barn, and in the adjoining !
alley two Of the revolvers were found. They /
were of cheap construction and had been
thrown away.
The next nearest building robbed was
occupied by the Union Pacific Tea com
pany. half a block further up Broadway.
Here the most reckless daring was dis
played The place is only half block from
the police station. A large plate glass
transom over the front door was broken
evidently with a hammer. The crAsh OF
falling glass was heard by Manager Dur
fee whose family occupies the third moor
of his business block several doors up the
street. The burglars had been obliged 10
climb on the top OF a photographers picture
case to reach the transom Ihey iorceu
the cash register and secured 10 cents III
nennies. Several larger sums Of money were
overlooked.
The hardware store of Charles Swaine'
four doors further up Broadway, was the
next place discovered. Entrance had been
effected by forcing window on the alley
in the rear of the building. Strong steel
shutters also protect the rear doors ana
windows of this building and the same crow
bar was used effectively TO pry on the smut
ter A glass was broken and the las'en-
inF to the door removed The safe In the
ONCE had been left unlocked. The thieves
and did not think the safe was worth the
trouble OF forcing The cash drawer was
found TO be empty and the only thlhg
taken was a new revolver Inc burglars
had evidently spent some time IN the store
and shamefully defaced some portions OF IL |
The grocery store Of c. o. d. Brown was
visited and the practice of smashing glass
continued. Two large lights in the front
door were broken, but al iron bar fastened
on the inside with a paddock prevented the
donns being opened The awning was
dropped 10 throw a shad-w on the broken
glass to prevent discovery, and the burglars |
went 10 the rear OF the building. Another !
window was broken. but steel wire net
ting again prevented entrance. skyllsht
in the roof was broken out and three iron {
bars that protected II from below were bent I
out cf place The burglars then entered
the building by sliding down a post. Ihe
cash register was burst open and s6O9 IN
money and a lot OF postage stamps taken.
The drawers OF desk in the office were
opened and private papers thoroughly eX-
amincd The burglars were evidently ath-
letes. for they left the building in the same
manner they entered II, via the twelve
foot post.
The saturnalia of crime ended by break
ing open a lunch wagon that stood on
North Main street. owned by an old man
named Blackburn. A lot OF luncheon was
taken and utensils smashed.
The police will not admit that they con-
meet a star professional burglar who was
in town Sunday with the work done but
they admit that the man was very angry
when they ordered him out OF tcwn late
Sunday evning. The boldness of the work
indicates his methods. There were evil
IDENTIFY several men engaged in the work,
and some OF them have been bold in {
disposing OF the property stolen as they
were in stealing it. The revolver taken |
from Swaine's store was found yesterday |
In a pawnshop located in the same block.
1; had been pawned during the forenoon,
together with an overcoat. The police rec e
ognize a well known crook in the descrip- | {
ton given OF the man who pawned the !
stun.
+. w. Dean, NJ. D., eye, ear. nose and /
throat 24l Merriam block )
2s pounds sugar for 81. Browns C. o. d.