Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-28
SPOILED THE SAFE.
Burglars Enter Store of C.. P.
McCriIIis at Dexter.
Open Safe, But Mccr;IIis Has Kept
No Money There for Years.
Important Hearing Over Purinston Estate Of
Topsham, at Richmond.

Dexter. Sept, 27.-(SpeciaL)-Th
grain and provision store of c. p. Nc
Crillis was broken into, Sunday night,
and an attempt made to rob the safe
of it's contents. The burglars entered
by back window, and drilled one hole
in the door of the safe. The explosion
blew the outer plate of the door partial
ly Off, and with the aid of a bar which
they found in the store. they attempted
to pry the door open, but were evident
ly frightened away, for they left the
bar in the crack as well as other evil
dences of a sudden departure. Appear
ances all indicate that the burglars
We're not experts. and their actions
would indicate that they had some
knowledge of the premises. Had they
succeeded in gaining entrance to the
safe, they would not have got any
money, as Mr.. McCrillis keeps no mon
ey in the safe nor has he since his safe
was once before burglarized, some
twelve or fifteen years ago, when he
kept store at the old depot in the
lower part of the towewhere the depot
used to be before the railroad was ex-
tended to Foxcroft.
A special to the Bangor Commercial
from Dexter, says: Some little excite
ment was caused here Monday morn
ing by the discovery that burglars had
entered the store of C. p. McCrillis on
Church street during the night and
cracked the safe, but evidently became
frightened before they had completed
their work. The safe was drilled few
inches above and to the right of the
handle to the door and the blast re-
moved the face of the door for two in
ches or more at the top while the bot
tom remained intact.
A crow bar that had stood beside one
of the doors in another part of the
building had been secured and an at
tempt made to pry the door open. The
bar was left sticking, in the badly
damaged door.
The safe stood beside the wall, which
was blackened when the blast was
made. A plank five feet long and per-
hapS 10 inches wide was leaning against
desk few feet away from the front
of the safe. What it was used for does
not appear plain. The money drawer
in the counter had been tempered with
but Intellectually.
Entrance was effected at the rear of
the store by breaking the top of a
square of glass close to the middle of
the sash. then reaching through the
hole made and removing the fasten-
ings. The burglars cut the telephone
line leading to Mr.. McCriils' residence
several rods away on Pleasant street.
The house of H. w. Fish is but very
short distance from the end of the store
where the safe stands. Mrs. Daniel
Davis, who is caring for Mrs. Fish in
her illness, claims to have heard a noise
between the hours of 1 and o'clock |
She did not know what it was and |
made no attempt to investigate Miss |
Genev.eve McCrillis states that she was |
awakened by a noise in the night at |
about the same time and thinks it was
either made when the telephone line |
was cut or the blast made.
A visit to the blacksmith shop of Ora |
Mcfarland opposite the Maine Central |
depot revealed the fact that an en-
trance had been made by means of a
rear window between Saturday night |
and Monday morning.
There is good reason to think that the
entrance was erected by the same
party or parties as entered Mr.. Nc
Crills' store, as square of glass was
broken similarly and the pin over the
lower window sash used for fastening
removed. A saw horse that had laid
beside the building was taken to the
rear and sued to stand on.
So far as could be ascertained by |
hasty examination no tools We're miss
ing from the shop The burglars had
their labor for their pains at McCrillis'
and would have even if they had sue
ceeded in effecting an entrance to the
safe, as Mr.. McCrillis never leaves any
money in it.
Opinions are devided in the matter,
some think it to be the work of anna
tours and Of some person or persons
acquainted with the premises. If it was
a professional it is certain that an al
mighty poor job was performed. A
number of years ago Mr.. McCrillis had
a safe blown to pieces at his store
when he was located at the old depot
at the lower end of the village. Moth
ing was secured then Of value to the
thieves but the safe was a very sorry
looking Spectacle