Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-06-23
A DARING ROBBERY.
MASKED MEN HOLD UP AN OFFICE
FORCE FOR $4,000.

n Philadelphia Street, Car Company's
Terminal Treasury Looted-Large Num-
Der of Men ImpIicated-Entire City
Detective Force on Case.
Philadelphia, June ia gang of
masked robbers, probably ten, raided
the receiving office of the Paramount
Park transportation company, at Bel
mont mansion in Paramount Park, this
morning, and after holding up the re-
celver and five employees blew open the
safe, securing $4,000. Receiver and men
were bound hand and foot with wire.
In addition to the men who actually
committed the robbery, others operated
miles away, destroying telegraph and
telephone wires connecting with the
trolley company's main office.
The company operates various lines of
trolley cars through the park for pleasure
riders. Traffic being unusually heavy
Saturdays and Sundays, the robbers
evidently decided upon this morning
as being a good time to make
big haul. The men were all in the
office when the burglars appeared. Each
intruder was armed with two revolvers
and took the employees by surprise. 1t
was the work of a few moments for the
robbers to pinion the workmen, who
were rolled over to the side room, fast to
the wall. Two hours later the safe had
been cracked and the gang had dis
appeared.
The entire city detective force is on the
case. There is no clue.
/ Tho COR harm N uhinh tbo o0ioo &c In
Gated stands above a deep ravine leading
from the Belmont mansion to pleasure
resort on the schuylkill river. 1t L. sur
rounded by heavy timber land and its
isolation rendered it perfectly adapted
for the work of robbers. The opinion Is
expressed that some one in the employ
of the company was either a member of
the gang or IN collision with them.
Nitroglycerine was first tried on the
safe, but that failing it was drilled open
with the company's own tools.
Frank Levan, the night receiver, and
the one gagged and bound by the rob-
bers, told this story of his experience:
"While standing at the southern door of
the office next to the stalled cars, heard
footsteps in the rear. Turning saw
two men with masks. They had two
big revolvers apiece, and came directly
up to me at the desk | saw at once
that it was all up with me. They told
me not to move nor cry or they would
kill me. One fellow was of enormous
size and stuck his pistol against my
ear. They took me into the conductors
room, tied my hands and feet with
picture cord, and laid me on the floor
with my face to the wall. The electric
lights were burning brightly all the
while and in the conductors room saw
Whitehouse was being held in the same
way. being bound and gagged. When
we were laid on the floor a man was de-
tailed to guard each. After a few
minutes in came another victim, who,
think, was Watson, conductor, who
went through with the same thing.
Then more came in bound and by this
time thought there must be II or 10
desperadoes at WORK in the car barn.
1.-The robbers worked very quietly.
They whispered whenever they said any
thing to their number. There must have
been an accomplished craftsman with
them, for it only took ten minutes to
blow up the safe. The works inside,
however, got tangled up and they
worked and hustled to open the door
wider for an hour and a half. The ex-
plosion of dynamite filled the rooms
with smoke and nearly choked US. The
guards put US in a most unpleasant
frame of mind. They frequently
threatened to shoot us if we made the
least cutlery or motion.
81 think they must have had wagon
to take away the cash, because it was
largely made up of specie and was very
heavy. Shortly after the money was
taken the guards left. After consider
able tussling Philip Eaves, the electri-
clan, one of the bound, got unloosened
and then unloosened US. We tried to
reach city hall by wire, but found the
wires had been cut"