The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-09
BURGLARS BUSY DAY
AN EXPERT GIVES SEVERAL
OFFICE BUILDINGS A GEN
ERAL RANSACKING
GOT LITTLE EXCEPT STAMPS

All the OHaces ON Five Floors OF the
GilRlIan Block Were Entered
The AIerchants' NationaI Hank
Building Received a Call, Also
the Masonic omces In Newspaper
ROw-Poiice Mystified.
No burglar that has operated in st.
Paul for several years ever showed more
conscientious application to business than
the one who appears to have put In most
of the time between Saturday night and
yesterday morning in ransackIng half a
dozen Office buildings. In the grand
roundup the burglar cleared up about
$780,
From the evidences left by the burglar
1t appears that he is a skillful operator.
In each building the work was almost
identical, showing the burglar to have
been in each case the same. The marks
of several different kinds of burglars
tools were found on the DOORS In most
cases the burglar simply forced open the
doors with Jimmy" while in others he
slid back the bolts of the Yale locks with
a thin -bladed knife.
The buildings entered, so far as could
be learned yesterday, We're the Gilfillan
block, Fourth and Jackson streets; the
Merchants National Bank building, Fifth
and Jackson streets: Bank of Minnesota
building, Sixth and jackson streets;
Newspaper Row, Fourth and Minnesota
streets, and the Omaha general offices,
Fourth and Rosabel streets The rob-
beries with one exception. were not dis
covered until yesterday morning.
The burglar evidently spent several
hours in the Gilfllan block, as he entered
and searched no less than eight offices,
besides trying to get into number of
others. He began on the fifth floor and
worked downward.
From Butler & How's law office 81 in
stamps were taken.
Abbot E. Smiths Office was entered, but
nothing was taken.
In c. N, Bells office the thief appro-
priated So in stamps.
On the fourth floor the enterprising
robber found So in stamps In James &
Lamprey's office. and also small amount
In stamps in the Office Of Horton &
Denegre.
From the Williams Credit Clearing
his richest haul in the building-SS90 in
cash.
On the second floor Young & Lightner
lost 81 worth of stamps. The operator
tried to get into Foley Bros office, on
the first floor, but could not force the
door.
More substantial booty fell to the lot Of
the burglar at the Merchants National
Bank building. Here he entered the Of
flee Of the National Surety company on
the third floor, and showed his skill by
opening the vault by working the combi-
nation. Inside he gathered up $132 belong
ing to William l.. McCurdy and left the
Office otherwise undisturbed.
The thief proved: safe expert also in
his work at Newspaper Row, where he
broke into the Office Of Thomas Mont
gonery, grand recorder and secretary of
the Masonic order of Minnesota. Here
the safe combination was neatly worked
without scratch appearing ON the iron
box. The thief examined papers. but took
only money and jewelry. He secured $50
In cash, a Masonic emblem set with dia-
monds,. valued at $3.50, and smaller EN-
blem, valued at $50. One valuable jewel
the burglar threw aside, apparently
thinking 1t of little worth. -,
AT, the Minnesota Bank building only
one, office, that Of. the Standard On COM
lpany, was, entered. Here the burglar Sc
cured Sc in money.
The work at the Omaha offices, as told
in the G l o g of yesterday. was more
general. Every Office on the first floor
was entered and desks forced open, with
the result that the burglar. went away $14
richer.
The robberies were reported to the po-
lice, but the Investigations up to date
throw little light upon the identity Of the
guilty individual.
What mystifies the police Is that such
bold, wholesale robbery could be so sue
cessfully accomplished. With one excep-
ton each of the buildings entered Is
guarded by a night watchraan, a fact
that leads to the belief that some Of the
work must have been done during Sun
day. In no case did the burglar perpe-
trate any act Of vandalism that he might
have considered unnecessary TO the sue
cess Of his plans. Every door bore the
jimmy" marks, but was not otherwise
defaced, nor were desks or other Office
furniture injured. Money or other val
uablcS easily converted into cash seemed
the burglars only quest. as he every
where left papers and documents almost
undisturbed. In several Instances unin-
dorsed checks for considerable amounts
were not touched. The authorities have
no hesitancy in acknowledging the of
flee burglar" to be an exceptionally clever
criminal. whose presence in the city is a
serious menace to other peoples property