The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-24
THE POLICE DISCOVER THAT AN
EXPERT IS TOUCHING THEM
STRONG BOX DRILLED OPEN.
WORK PARTICULARLY AGGRAvAT-
ING, AS 1T WAS DONE AT 26
EIGHTH STREET.
NO REWARD FOR THE LABOR DONE
Indicates That the Job
Was Done by a Genuine "Peter"
second In n Week.

An expert job of safe cracking was
accomplished at the Office of the Lee
febvre Roofing and Cornice company,
26 Eighth street, during the early
hours of yesterday morning. The bur-
glars secured only 40 cents for their
trouble, but the character of the work,
togetherwith the Hardenbergh robbery
several days ago, shows that there is
undoubtedly an expert safe blower or
two in the city who are out for big
stakes.
The robbery yesterday was a par
ticularly bold piece of work, as the
safe upon which the burglars operated
stood directly under the window open
ing on Eighth street, where a passing
policeman could not have failed to
be attracted by the light necessary in
the operation of drilling the safe door
or the sounds of the sledge in breaking
of the lock. An entrance to the office
was secured through the front door
by means of a skeleton key. The bur-
glars were well prepared, and once in
side set to work boring through the
steel door of the safe. This task was
easily accomplished, but by a miscal-
culation the hole was a trif1e below the
tumbler, and no headway had been
made. Evidently lacking time to bore
second hole, the burglars proceeded
to smash the combination lock with a
sledge hammer. This done, punch
was inserted, when more blows from
the sledge demolished the lock and al
lowed the door to swing open. But the
burglars must have been soreIy dis
appointed, for the safe contained only
books and papers and 40 cents in cash.
Appropriating the money and scatter
ing the papers about the office floor,
the thieves took their departure, leav-
ing the front door open. Nothing was
known of the burglary until discovered
when the place was opened for busl-
ness. The police were notified, and De-
tectives DAILY and Murnane were de-
tailed on the case. Besides convincing
themselves that the burglary was the
work of experts, the authorities have
made little progress.
ANNOYED BY BURGLARS.
The family of G. W. Barton, living
at 366 Pleasant avenue, is excited over
three attempts of burglars to enter the
mouse WlInln the last two weeks.
Wednesday night the thieves made the
last visit shortly after midnight The
family had retired, when a daughter
of the house was awakened by a noise
at the bedroom window She heard
foot steps on the porch and some one
repeatedly try to open the window,
stealthily trying first one and then an
other. Later the thieves were heard
working at the lock of the front door.
Last week burglars succeeded in get
ting into the cellar of the house, but
were frightened away by cries from
the occupants. Several nights before
this the lock of the kitchen door had
been partly broken off and a panel
of the door split by the force employed
in an effort to break in. On this occas-
ion Miss Barton saw the burglars from
an up stairs window. There were
three of them. When discovered they
jumped the fence and disappeared in
an alley. Thinking each visit would
be the last the matter was not reported
to the police until yesterday, when the
family became so alarmed that Chief
Goss was requested to have the officer
on the beat particularly guard this
house.