Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-28
They Wreck Interior Of South
Berwick National Bank.
Frightened Away Without Their Booty
by Woman Living Near.
Pas, erby Gagged and Bound by Robbers De.
tective at Work on Case.

office demolished, but owing to the
alarm being given by a woman living
in an adjoining building, who heard the
report Of the explosion and saw the
flash of the powder. the men were
frightened away without securing a
penny.
The building is a tWo-story brick
structure, the lower story being Occu-
pied by the bank and the upper floor
devoted to two law offices. The South
Berwick Savings Bank does business
in the same apartments as does the
National bank, the boards of officers Of
the two institutions comprising prac-
tically the same men.
Early risers III the village found the
outer entrance doors and the inner
door Of the counting room open. and
the floor strewn with debris. The
outer casing of the big vault door had
been blown off the hinges. and lay on
tic floor, in front Of the windows. II
feet from the vault. In its light it had
demolished an office chair. and over
turned ana broken the legs Of the
cashiers table. Pieces of broken bars.
]
knob and dial Of the combination lock-
! and various tools We're scattered about,
and the ceiling, walls and counter were
spattered with soap, which had been
used in preparing for the explosion.
! The break was absolutely unsuccces-
! It'll from a financial standpoint. the
burglars getting not a cent for their
nights work. Some Of the tools used
| by them Were taken from Mailhotte's
! blacksmith shop at Hog point. across
| the river from Salmon Fails village.
| All a Boston < Maine handclr house
! two crowbars were obtained. ana these.
! Judging by the marks on the oak doors.
were used in effecting an entrance II
the building.
Safe experts. who came from Boston
to open the vault door, say that M
! powder or dynamite was used in max
ing the break. but nitro-glycerine was
| the agency employed. ana that it was
exploded by means Of a battery. Sew
craI pieces Of copper wire were left by
the burglars in their flight. The door
| was not drilled. but the explosive was
forced into the hole made by removal
Of the combination knob.
Only the outer casing Of the vault
door was torn off by the explosion, the
inner part remaining intact firmly
held in place by steel bolts on all sides.
| There is an inner vault. and within
that a steel safe. in which the bank Sc
curities are kept. so that had the eX-
pIosion demolished the whole outer door
the burglars would have had several
hours hard work ahead Of them before
the booty could be reached.
! At one time the burglars Were some
what interrupted in their work. Fred
Mason. a resident Of the village. about
Is wears of age. was on his way home
just before midnight. and, as ne neareo
the bank he saw several masked men
| They seized him. and. At the point OF !
revolver. he was threatened with deatH
| if he dared make an cutlery.
| Placing his hands behind him. they
| fastened them and his feet with pieces "l
| copper wire. and. lifting him over a
uit.kpt fence. placed him on the lawn ~
| front ~ William ThompSon'S reSlicnc"
near the bank. He was again cautioned
Ia.afnSt making any noise. ana his dSSHli-
anus left him there and continued thtli
Toward daylight. long after the explo?-
sion Mr. Mason succeeded in WorklhE nus
feet clear Of their Fastening. ahd Wdih vain -,
lto the house uf Michael Crdgin q spccld
cnnSt bic and aroused him. otflc'r Cfjt-
gin spread the alarm among his neigh
hnrs. hut the desperadnes had long Slhct
MY. jeremiah Storcr. whose home i
ON Main street. ucIrlY opposite tn" bank
ltrHs a wonderful story Of what she 81"
from her windows. .i- +,
! eIt, said land st trtpd to 90 to bed aD"u'
l1I3r When ! @ut upstairs heatH N"icrI
in tho street. ana. looking on ~ ir"I
window. | saw a light in front az th'
bank | thought it WAS the llEht OF Il
cigar. and that boys were sitting on tn'
donrsteps Of the bank. Az they often q
Al night | remained ~ the MINI 9I hr,,
time. ana saw persons moving ABOUT, bu,
il was 81 dark | could not tell whether
they were men Pr boys .- e.,,ar.o,
| ''Tr,scntly | heard footsteps. 1"l!pWt,
Inv a noise as if somebody was S'uinlhE
and heard a man say: Don ii" i"A'
II tried To interest ny husband I; in IN n,
IIr,,o. b,it he aid it was only imagina
lion ANA he didn't get NJ. Standing neai
Ian omen window. | coughcd. and n" hSh'
~ continued to watch. first Al one VIII
dow and then at another. About
n HIM ''I / heard noise like the Summing
If / door. 1t seemed l3ud thI"~" =
awaken the whole neighborhOod
| - IittIe after O'Clock the explosion
rtm4 Then | knew there We're burglar
II fhe bank Going to my bureau pIcke,
~ metal whistle that nat We ', wjnd low,
IN tnt Hpu-t' -
Nj heard footsteps on the opposite Sldr
u.,il, ana in the street. Two persons
seemed M-,, to be going in the direction # jhS
Northern Division station ana lhl'
fnward salmon FAILS. Io,
"Abopt 539 saw a man M Ta,5 bI tha n3hk
and in his shirt sleeves go IN l,,p ''j anl
and when ne cdiiie ""' - TN
c2,a1r ~ 'I sltore~ saws She saw distinctly only
~, NJ 80 nan 1nl the only description oi
him She can give i That rs wa il qn II
stout. had brown hair ana wa Sil7ii'''
Fred Mason who was t tea up WIN 5yG wif'
Hill, 1n dasrrintion of the men. liz Say'
they all wore masks cs maze y ,l II -b fa5
- 70 shoot There was nothing for ne
u Do but obey them. they ,,1 h'I b I'M S nPP'
given any alarm it would have cost M
my life" .-,- >-,,i,,,,, r,,,,. an,
III south Berwick Savings Bank ar'
among the oldest financial Institutions II
western Maine. The former has z capita
M 500 0on: surplus $1,000; undivided pro