The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-16
Robbers Loot Bowers
Store at Wakefield.
Gold Watches, Charms and
Society Rings Taken.
Value Of the Plundsr Carried off Is
About $250O-No Clue.

hopDers meue y goou naui In Slles ~.
Bowers store at Wakefield, some time after
2 o'clock this morning, and got away
without leaving any good tracks by which
they might be detected. They secured
about $2. 500 worth of iewelry including
five gold watches, 10 gold chains, four
dozen rszors, IL boxes of Rogers knives,
ITO Masonic rings, valued at $40 each, 40
Odd Fellow and Knights of Pythiss rings
valued at ~ each and other articles of les
ser value.
The store IL located on Main street,
opposite the Episcopal church, and 1t
was visited as late as . o'clock this morn
ing by a town otti Ger who saw no indics-
tion of midnight providers. The store
was also passed by DR.. Wilcox about the
same time and 1t was then In it's usual
condition. Mr.. Pollock was In his place
of business near by as late as / 80 o'clock,
at work on his books, and he heard moth
ing that would indicate the presence of
house breakers. A bright light was In
bis store all the time and 1t Is supposed
that this delayed the work of the thievef.
There Is every indication that the dsr-
ing job ives done a. fter Mr.. Pollock's light
was turned out and after the officer had
left the store to attend to his duty else
where. 1t is also believed by tho author
tiles at Wakefield that the robbery was
committed by local thieves. Their belief
is based on the knowledge the thieves had
of the contents of the store and where
the most valuable articles we're located.
There are, however, circumstances that
would indscate that the work was done by
professional cracksmeD. The tools left
behind, do not bslong In the village and
the robpers tried TO effect sn entrance
through false door. These two items
lead the knowing pnss of the village to
believethat the towns psopaerzassahensss-
so fs as this big robbery is.concerned.
Mr.. Wright's stock 10 of a miscella-
neous Character. Like nearly all country
stores he keeps little Of ell sorts and the
stolen property was included in the most
valuable part OF his stock. Thieves have
not been numerous in the village and
for this reason no special pains were
taken 10 prevent loss of property by evil
disposed persons. Mr.. wright's goods
had ordinsry protection and 1t Is pre-
sum ed that the thieves were aware of the
fine pick ing in store for them.
Besides the stolen property the evidence
of thieves consists OF hole bored
tbr ougsa door aud another hole made by
the same instrument penetrating q win
dow sash in q window at the back part of
the store. The robbers first bored the
hole through the door for the purpose of
breaking tie lock. They found that the
door wes the entrance to the upper part
OF the building snd then stopped work
at this point. This door at one time led
into the store, but the inner communica-
tion was sealed up some time ego and
the outer door thereafter was used for an
entrance to another part of the building.
The thieves evidently knew that the door
sstonished at the discovery that 1t did
not. They tnen made their way to the
rear OF the premises, secured q short lad
der and made the hole In the window
cssing. BY this means they Tipped the
catch and opened the window.
Once inside. the thieves went to where
the gold goods we're kept. They scattered
the miscellaneous stock about that par
ticuiar part Of the store ana selected the
watches, chsins. rings and other things.
They took only the best and the most
easily carried and left The premises by the
way they entered, using the short ladder
to get to ths ground. From this point
there is no trace OF tho visitors. When
they went away tbey left the nugur with
which the holes we're bored. No one in
the village ever saw the sugur before.
Officer James McCsrole, who was at the
front of the store at O'Clock, says Ii
was so lighted insids that be cannot con-
ceive how the thieves could be In the
store and escape detection from the out
side. He 10 therefor OF the opinion that
some one was stationed outside while
the robbery wss being effected.
Wakefield Is In a fever of excitement
tocay because the robbery is tho heaviest
known In the village for many years.