The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-09
SIX BOLD
BURGLARS.
Blow Open The Safe of
The Bavarian Brewery.
SECURE CASH And CHECKS
The Employees Tied Hand
., and Foot and Ordered
to be Silent at the
Point Of Revolt
verS.
THE POLICE ON THEIR TRAIL
The Gang Is a Professions
ial One That Has
Been Operating in
Pennsylvania as
Well as Mid
dletOWn. ,
THE POLICE ON THEIR TRAIL

A gang of desperate burglars blow open
the safe at the Office of the Bavarlan Bre-
very at Fifth and DUPONT streets :his
morning l,rhsy secured about $500 In cash
and nearly twice that amount Ia checks
and stamps. They made good their escape
and tho detectives and police are doing
everything in their power to capture the
men. It was one Of the most successful
safe-cracking acts of the gang that has
been operating through Pennsylvania late
ly.
STORY OF THE ROBBERY.
Frederick Testing was the only man In
tho brewery last night. He is employed
rs au engineer aud was at his work in the
engine room. Hearing a stop behind him
hs turned around and as lie did masked
burglar covered him with revolver and
told him to keep quiet or that his life was
nt an end.
At the point of the revolver he was TAX
en- to IN adjoining store room where he
was bound hand and foot by another burg
lar The first man he saw held tho re.
volver close TO his face all this time. Fest
ing could hear other burglars drilling at
tho safe in the office. He was completely
unperyed about this time as the safety
valve on the boiler gave notice that the
water was running low.
THIRD BURGLAR APPEARS.
A third burglar appeared about this
time and a conference was beid. Resting
was allowed to fill tho boilers and then
was marched back to the closet store
ROOM. He thought every minute an hour.
After long wait he heard M explosion
and the men who had been guarding him
ran away, IIe knew the safe had been
blown open. lie made desperate efforts
to free himself but all to no avail. lie
was too securely fastened and was aware
of the fact that should ho cry out his life
might be taken by the burglars.
In his efforts to fres himsolf from his
bonds he skinned his wrists. He was sur
prised soon afterwards by Emit Meyer the
"Ketteman," walking into the room.
Meyer had ropes fastened to one leg and
arm and convinced Testing that he 100
Ind been victim Of the bold burglars.
Meyer cut the ropes that bound Testing
and then they blew the brewery whistle to
attract the neighboring police.
Upon going to the street they mot of'lcer
Mullen and JabJwski who had been hut
few squares away at the time and were at
tractsd to the brewery by the noise OF the
explosion.
The officers made hasty examination
and then notified Captain Chambers at
tho police station'
Sergeant Bailey was on the scene soon
afterwards.
ECaptain Chambers lost no time In get
tinz to the residence Of Dsteetive McNey
and both officers then went Immediately
to the brewery. They secured John A.
Lengel's horse and carriage and started IN
search of the men. Captain Chambers put
tho telephone into service and notified oil
the railroad stations. The police on the
districts were notified but none OF tho
officers saw any thing Of the men. There
were six men in the gang.
Meyor reached the brewery about
O'Clock this morning and as he was about
to open the gate he WAS selzad by four
maskod burglars. Thoy covered him with
their revolver; and aftsr they secured the
keys they threw him to the pavement and
as in Festing's case, took the rope from
"a Lnr hia hnuha md
feet. He was then carried to tho second
story of tho olfice where he was guarded by
two of the men.
Looking Into two rcvolvers held by two
desperate men ha lay in that position for
an b, ur and all the time could hear the
other men In the Office drilling the safe.
When tho explosion occurred his guards
Disappeared Thon Meyer began to work
himself free and after a whilo succeeded
In getting his hands loosoned. Then no
united the rope that bound his legs and
started to hunt Testing whom he found
as stated above.
SOUNDING THE ALARM.
They then blew the whistles and in
short timo n crowd Of about two hundred
persons had gathered In the brewery yard.
Thcy.imagined the brewery was op fire.
when tfsy heard the whistle blowing Tho :
burglars entered tho brewery at 2 o'clock
and blew open he safe an hour later. They
accomplished their purpose by drilling
5-16th of an inch hole in the top of the
safe. Into this they placed quantity of
niLro-clycerine and fuse did the rest
The door was wrenched off its hinges
and the bolts flow back so that tho burg
lars could easily secure the contents OF tho
cash drawer, The forco OF tho explosion
moved the safe over three feet from Its po-
sition ip the office. The burglars knew that
there was no time to lose after the explo-
sion so they grabbed the contents Of tho
drawer, which consisted OF about $500 in
casl n larger amount in checks, 1000
mile ticket over the Pennsy lvania railroad
and few bonds of small amount.
The dosks In the Cffice had Leen forced
open and tho contents scattered about the
floor The robbers did not touch the
books.
THE JOB WELL PLANNED.
The burglars showed THAT they had plan.
ned the burglary well. At the timo they
were at work in the Office drilling the safe
and the two employs bound and guarded
by armed burglars Officer Jalowski was on
tho corner sending in q report to the sta
ton. This was at =. 40 O'Clock and half All
hour later be heard tho explosion.
When the police reached the office they
found the tools with which the men had
seen at work.
The burglars knew that Monday was
collecting day by tho brewery and that the
the money WAS not deposited until the fol,