Evening journal., 1899-05-09
BIG BREWERY ROBBERY
Watchman Overpowered BY
Six Masked Men Last Night
AND THE SAFE BLOWN OPEN

AND NEARLY $500 sroLEN-RoB-
BEERS USED. GUNS 10 INTTMIDATE
nNIPLoYEs-No CLUE TO THE BUR-
GLARs-WORK OF Profession
AIS.
About o'clock this morning six mask
ed men entered the office Of the Bavarlan
Brewery, at Fifth and DUPONT streets
and blowing open the safe stole si.4o9O6
in money and securities.
It was shortly after o'clock when the
six masked men. heavily armed, made
their appearance at the brewery and
seized and bound Watchman Emil Meyer
and Engineer Frederick Testing and pro-
ceeded to rifle the safe in the office.
Testing was at work in the engine room
when he heard a stealthy step behind
him On the cement floor. When he turned
around he looked into the barrel of a re-
volver. At the same time the man hold
ing it said: "Dutchman, If you speak
even in a whisper, I win blow your d.
brains out"
Testing was too frightened TO speak
Catching him by the shoulders the rob-
ber pushed him out of the engine room
and anto a small store room. There
second burglar was waiting. The two tied
the engineer hand and foot with a long
rope they took from their pockets. The
engineer was pushed into the place and
the door was pushed partly too. Testing
could look through the crack. All this
time the revolver was almost touching
his nose He was warned with these
words: Speak, and / Will blow your
brains out"
In the office he could hear some other
men drilling on the safe. He could hear
the men talking softly to themselves
After he had been in the closet for what
seemed years to him. Testing sdw an
other man come In and join the guards
The third intruder said to one OF those
standing guani GIVE me that bottle" "
The man spoken to opened his coat and
Testing saw several bottles.
About that time the whistle which is
connected with the safety valve began to
blow Festing knew &c meant the water
in the boiler was low. If more water was
not put in the boiler it would explode.
He begged to be allowed to put more
water into the almost dry boilers HIS
reply was punch in the mouth which
brought the blood There was "A confer
ence between the workers and the guards
and then, covered by four revolvers,
Testing was allowed to fiji the boilers.
THIS done he was pushed back into the
closet.
In a short time a loud explosion was
headr in the office and Festing's guard
ran off, leaving him to get loose as best
he could.
Meyer had an exciting story to tell. He
is due at the brewery at o'clock. As
he neared the gate four men sprung out
at him, and drawing revolvers pushed
them into his face and said: shut up
and throw up your hands"
He was thrown to the ground and tied
securely. Then he was carried to the sec.
ond floor OF the Office. Two men stood
guard over him. Almost frightened tC
death and fearing to breathe lest hs
should be shot, he lay for an hour look
ing into the shining barrels Of the two
revOlvers pointing at him.
When the explosion occurred Meyer,
guards ran off. He struggled for som,
time to get loose. Finally he succeeded
Il Then Meyer started to hunt Testing. Ill,
could not find him in the engine room
and searched the building. He foun,
Testing in a cramDed position in th'
closet. He cut his bonds, and together
they ran into the engine room and begai
to blow the steam whistles
T1o1ff.aIrr,arf NF1t1Ifr or,.F Tono1,eIrf r,rara
Fourth and BroOme streets and hearing
the noise of the whistle ran to the scene
They gropcd their way into the offic
through a binding cloud Of smoke ant
found that the large safe had been bTowi
several feet from the wall and the doc
hanging by one hinge. Books and paper
were scattered about the floor in all di
rections. and the desks in the office wer
) broken open.
! On the floor with the Hitter were foun
number of tools and several larg
pieces Of fuse. There was small hole d
the TOP of the safe. This had been file
with nitro-glycerine. When the chic
! clerk arrived he gave the informato
concerning the aIpount in the safe. 1t
thought that some beer stamps wer
1lOleu. IN the SdIe were SiVv Wulth y
Z stamps, but they were overlooked by tn
S thieves.
On the floor was found a piece Of
D pocket handkerchief which may lead
n the capture of the men. The police no'
have It, The charge was heavy one. a
D the safe is one of the largest In the city
The books were not molested, and the rG
cefpts were not disturbed. As soon as th
police arrived the police station was not
p fed and Captain Chambers and Detectiv
McVey were soon on the scene Of tn
robbery. A team was secured and the
were soon after the men. Testing sal
they ran up DUPONT street, but ma
who was at Eighth and DUPONT when b
heard the whistles blowing, said he dl
not see anything of them.
Shortly after O'Clock some men in
carriage passed through Elsmere at
breaiSneck speed. The officers passe
y through there some time afterwards.
y Neither Testing nor Meyer can give a
= accurate description Of the men, thoug
!. they say all wore handkerchiefs ov'
IA their faces.
= The police are actively searching Il
a the bold robbers.