Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-30
Professional Cracksmen Secure
$1,000 in Money and Swag.
DYNAMITED AN IRON SAFE
Cash Amounting to 5000 Stolen from
Watts & Howard's Store. Mr.. j. H,
Darline's House Burglarlzed.
$1,000 In Silver lost.

Hampton was visited by !, bold gang
of what seems to be professional safe
crackers, yesterday morning.
The grocery store OF McssrS. Watts
and Howard, which lis located on Queen
street, extended about three quarters
81 u mile from the heart Of the city
was the sceEc Of the burglary. 1t has
been the custom Of the firm, for the
accommodation Of their customers. 10
DO q banking business in a small Way.
they receiving deposits from their pa
irons, who only went to bank once 4
week
some time during Thursday night or
early yesterday morning burglars en-
t"r!nE the store room by Way Of the
front door, in which they chiseleu I,
hole large enough to cause the lock TO
give way. 1t seems that after gaining
an entrance the robbers made their
way to the small room in The center Of
the building and which separates the
bar from the grocery department. This
room was used as the private office Of
the firm who kept besides the bank
all their private papers within its walls
Immediately after locating The safe the
robbers prepared TO dynamite it by
boring 4 hole about 4 third Of an inch
around. just over the knob on the door
They then placed the dynamite in and
closed the hole With some kind of glue
and set fire TO it. The ,;oor OF the safe
was completely demolished, and the al
abaster contained in it vas blown all
over the room by the explosion which
was heard BY many people in the
neGhborhood. After accomplishing
this the men proceeded to ransack the
safe. which contained the Insurance
and other private papers Of the firm.
and 5000 in cash. OF this amount $500
belonged to the firm. S225 to Mr. r. L.
Davis and the remainder to other Gus
toners. or course the burglars stole
all the money in the safe. a drawer
containing some Of the papers MAS
carried about 100 yards away from the
building and rifled of its contents. The
papers, which We're of no value to the
thieves, We're left on the ground and
found there yesterday morning by q
gentleman who happened to pass the
place
There is no clue whatever to the per
petrators of the deed, but the matter
has been reported oJhe police of Nor
folk, Newport News. Phoebus and the
Elizabeth City authorities. The Hamp-
ton force lost no time in trying to cap
ture the burglars but last night they
were still in the dark. and very little
light could be thrown on the robbery
STOLE VALUABLE SILVER.
Another robbery was reported to the
police yesterday, which, il reports be
true. was as extensive as the safe
blowing
The house of Mr. James H. Darling
Who is at Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore, was broken into sometime
during Tuesday night and all Of the
handsome Silverware, amounting in the
neighborhoOd OF 1000 was stolen. The
thieves made their entrance by a Win
dow left open. and after ransacking the
house from top 70 bottom. made good
their escape. The robbery was kept a
secret until yesterday in the hope that
some clue might be gotten as to the
guilty. parties. The exact amount of
SlverWare stolen could not be given
yesterday. Mr. Darling had among the
silver many very handsome relics which
he priced very much. and until Mr..
Frank Darling returns from Baltimore
today little can be said as to the rob
berry. However, it WAS given out by a
rcrsol in d position 70 know What he
was talking about. that the loss Would
not be less than 81 900 10 Mr.. Darling
Inquiries at the home Of MI. Frank
Darling yesterday failed 10 throw any
light on the robbery as it was said
nothing would be given out for publ
cation before the return Of Mr.. Oar
ling. AT the time the robbery was coln-
united there was no one in the building,
Mrs. Darling being away with her hus-
band.