The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-09-14
BLEW THE VAULT.
The Hank of Milaca Was Visited by
Burglars While the Village
Slept Tuesday Night.
The Vault, Safe and Building Badly
Wrecked by Nitro Glycerine-
No Clues Discovered.

t-Eh
BilI Skies disciples visited Milaca
early yesterday morning. If they
didn' secure liberal 'swag" it was
because it was too securely guarded.
About 1890 yesterday morning Fred
Warren, the night clerk at the Arling
ton, was appraised of an explosion in
that neighborhood by loud report
and AGAR that shook the building. He
rushed around the corner toward Pres
ley's drug store, thinking that possibly
the explosion was caused by chemicals,
but on his arrival found that the Bank
OF Milaca nearby had been wrecked.
TheIexplosion aroused everyone in
that vicinity and a crowd soon gath
cred and an investigation was i1mme-
diately begun. From all appearances
someone had succeed in opening the
vaultof the hank, but found it impossi-
bic tossget at the contents of the burg
lar proof safe without the use of an ex-
plosiye and the charge used was too
heavYfor successful job. The vault
was completely wrecked, hole being
blown in the corner of the building
arge#enough to allow a team to be
driven in. The safe was also wrecked,
the money being scattered all over the
building. By some it is thought that
the Burglars were ignorant of the
p0werof the charge inserted but 9TH
ers think they were angry when they
found. themselves bafled and deter
mined to destroy the safe.
There is rent in the screen on the
rear window and the window was un-
fastened but the hole is too small for
anyone to enter. Some hold that the
burglars cut out a section of the wall
near the vault and the explosion de-
stroyed the evidences, but most people
think the entrance was made at the
'front.'
Theyault shows that at the time of
the explosion of the safe the door was
shut and bolted. The burglars evil
dentlssbad no difficulty in getting the
first door open but had tried one ,ex-
plosion on the safe without results and
i the second charge was too strong It
may be, however, that after applying
the nitro glycerine the second time
the bottle containing the supply was
set down and forgotten and when the
charge exploded the glycerine in the
bottle also let go demolishing the
building and frustrating the robbers.
The work on the inner lock shows
the handiwork of professionals and the
bungling finish would Indicate that
some mistake was made or that the
building was maliciously destroyed
when it was found impossible to obtain
the coin.
There is said to have been about
SIS, 900 cash on hand but how much of
this is lost it is now impossible to tell.
About $500 in bills and silver have
been picked out of the ruins and it is
possible that the remainder of the
money will be found in the wreckage
when it is cleared away.
Some suspect that the perpetrators
escaped by driving in this direction.
The fireman of the north-bound night
train says that just as they reached
Soule's siding he saw a team driven
rapidly toward the track. When the
occupants of the buggy saw they would
reach the crossing at about tho same
time as the train they turned about
and drove back into the dark.
The bank was protected by burglar
insurance so that the loss will not fall
on the stockholders. Just what the
loss will be cannot be ascertained I'M
til. the adjustors arrive, which will
probably be to-day. The damage tc
the building, safes, etc., is estimated
at 900.
The bank was owned by John Goss
and O. F. Warnes, of Anoka, J. NJ
Haven, of Big Lake, M. M. Ring, Of
Milaca, and others. and was in charge
of M. M. Ring.
The affair is battling the authorities
as no suspicious characters were seer
about the village and no one was dis
covered in that vicinity when the ex'
plosion occurred although the towr
is well lighted by electricity in thai
; section. 49, s''~,s>.s-~ ~>7.@~,.>,@ ~ ~
y j. WON AND LOST. -