Evening journal., 1900-04-19
Got Oh With Stamps and Money
From the Smyrna
POstOfiice
WOMEN GAVE THE ALARM
WHILE THE NIGHT WATCHMAN
RAN FOR HELP THE ROBBERS
MADE GOOD THEIR ESCAPE.
speclal % lhe EvonIng Journal.

Smyrna. April 19.-Without excep-
ton, the boldest robbery that has oc-
.curred In Smyrna was that in the pest
office early this morning
Burglars first visited the blacksmith
shcp Of j. Wesley Start, from whom
they stole a brace and bit and
monkey wrench. From that they went
TO Boyer & Co. S and entered the paint
shop, and then the blacksmith shop,
taking a screwdriver and chisel. Leav-
ing this place the brace from Starts
was dropped In the lane.
An entrance was forced into the post
office through a rear door. the blind for
the glass being pried Off It was but
the work of amoment to break the win
dow. and then operations on the safe
began. There were four explosions be-
fore the safe was shattered. lt was OF
an old make, being manufactured I'm
1854, without a combination lock- The
noise of the first explosion and falling
glss wis heard by Mrs. Margaret Lang.
who lives with Mrs y. X BOehmler.
The second explosion aroused Mrs.
BCehmler and daughter. who went to
side window and saw a light in the
post Office. In a minute the third eX-
plosion came, when q tall, slender man
was seen 10 run from the building, re-
turning TO fire the fourth. The post
Office being in darkness the women
who had been aroused could see the
man only when he would open the slide
OF his lantern Miss Boehmler ran to
the front window and called TO Officer
jones, whom she saw standing on the
-Four Corners" few feet distant from
/ her home. and within twenty steps Of
the post office
POLICEMAN RAN FOR HELP.
Jones said this morning that he was
on Main street. between Commerce
and Mt. Vernon, when he heard the
FIRST explosion. The noise sounded as
thrugh coming from the direction of
/ w. E Wall a. Sons store, and he ran
lup there then to Pierce's meat store,
4 thence TO the Chester House. Starting
toward the post Office again, he met q
. stranger Of the appearance as de-
acribed by Mrs. Boehmler
The policeman Is censured for not
going into the building when he first
arrived there. instead Of going after a
neighbor for help.
LOSS NOT FULLY KNOWN.
Owing to excitement incident to the
robbery. Postmaster Megear has not
yet been able TO ascertain the full loss.
The mail was not disturbed, only the
contents OF the safe being stolen.
i II contained about 500 in money
and ZOO stamps. In the Office was an
other small safe. which the robbers
found to contain nothing.
No clue was left by the thieves, with
the exception of the tools taken from
the blacksmith shop. The knob OF the
safe was torn OF and the powder pack
ed in the hole, a common fuse being
used. A piece of it tow or three inches
long was found on the floor this morn
I ing. lt is supposed the burglary was
committed by parties not familiar
with the town. as 10 is thought that
] Boyer's paint shop would not have
been entered by local thieves in quest
iof tools.
/, The night was a good one for a rob
/ hery OF this kind. the wind blowing
gale, while the rain fell in torrents.
The explosions were so muifled that
only the citizens living in the imme-
diate vicinity heard them. The air for
half an hour was filled with the odor
made by the explosives.
Detective McVey. of Wilmington, is
investigating the case.