The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-06
A BANK VAULT BLOWN OPEN.



bank was entered by means Of rear
window, and il is evident that the rob
bers lost no time i'm beginning work
on the vault Ii is thought they were
professional cracksmen. but If so they
were certainly not old hands at the
business. for they made about as much
noise as Schley did at Santiago, nearly
all the windows i'm the vicinity of the
bank being wrecked by the concussion.
AS soon as the excitement had par
TALLY subsided. somebody suggested
sending for the officers of the bank.
This was done, and then an eXamina-
tion Of the premises was made. Most
of the furnishings were found IN dis
order. and there was a very pronounced
odor of smoke from some explosive no.
ticeable. 1t was found that the outer
Va1ilt door had been blown off, having
evidently been blasted twice. The first
explosion had completely wrecked the
lock. and the second had taken the door
off and blown big hole i'm the lower
portion of il, the safe crackers having
used Cashier George T.. Sheldon's toilet
soap to plug up the spaces around the
door.
The third charge has been applied to
the inner vault door and had blown of
the outer steel shell for a distance OF
about one-half it's length from the bot
tom, and this portion stood out almost
A
the upper half remained intact. and
tho charge had failed to shatter the i'm
nor norton of the door. thus preventing
any loss TO the bank. The damage sus-
tainel by the corporation, in addition
10 the wrecked windows and loss OF the
vault doors, viii not exceed 800.
Cashier sheldon assured himself that
the contents of the vault were intact,
and then stated that even If the cracks
men had been successful they would
not have secured a sum In excess of
Si5 ,00l Mr. sheldon has been in the
habit. for sune time, OF sending the
money placed on dnpCsit in tho bank 10
ProVidenc about twice week. ana
had sent off quite large sum yester-
day Furthermore. there were no bends
IN the vault. as Mr.. sheldon also ke eps
those IN Providence, where they are In
no danger.
The Phenix National Ednli has re-
fused for a long time io take private
deposits Of securities and other tinan-
ciaI paper. and while there was consid-
erRbie negotiable paper in The vaultthe
burglars would have 90 have held Vt
for n long time before they could have
realized anything upon it. and IL would
in ali probability have led to their de-
| lection. The bank officials are natur-
ally well pleased at the result OF the
affair. bu. they will spare no efforts To
bring about. III possible, the arrest OF
| the safe blowers. Mr.. Briggs has been
warmly complimented upon his pres
ence OF mind i'm giving the alarm as
soon as he heard the explosion.
sheriff Amasa Spraguc OF Kent
| comfy was notified of the affair early
| this morning. and all the towns in the
Pawtuxet Valley and I'm other parts OF
the state have been furnished with the
| host description of the robbers obtain
| ahie Deputy sheriff Mike" Lynch at
| once started out upon the trail of the
crooks hut up TO noon today he had
/ not met with any degree OF success.
| Thc Providence d, tcctivc department IS
! also un the alert and close watch VIII
! bc kept on suspicious persons
Mr.. Briggs. who nrst saw the f"ur
/ mon saVs they were totally unknown to
| him and he thinks 10 doubtful " he
\ couId have recognized them in tho
/ darkness. even NJ they were not strang
| crs To- him. There are people IN PheniN
| who arc of the opinion that the robbers
| are the same who blew open and robbed
tho vault of the National Bank OF
| Mrcntham. Mass. late last taH. nut
/ there is absolutely nothing To show that
| this opinion Is we'll founded.
At A late hour this morning. the bank
/ pooplc secured the services Of n safe CN-
/ peft from Providence. ana nc began
| proparations TO open the inside door OF
/ tho vault which was iammcd. and va q
| short time the door was opened AMI
eN,rythirg was found 60 b. all right as
\ IA. eaghitr nad lcft it on Thursday at
/ ternoon. The Nat-~ with its several
I doors was. however. not the only pro
/ lection To the banks property. Tor IN
| side the vault WAS q steel chest bur
! glar-pf0uf. which was equipped with
time lock.
This alone would have prevented the