Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-04
SAFE BLOWN.
S. L. Mceavic's Strong Box Drilled
Thursday Evening.

'N' SNstJ -SSihuS ~
From Fridays Daily.
When c. c. Palmer opened the Of
flee of the S. l.. McGavic lumber COM
pany, on South Jefferson street, this
morning, he was much surprised and
not little excited to find the firms
books and papers scattered over the
floor, which led to the discovery that
the safe had also been blown. Later
1T developed that no money had been
placed in the safe and none of the
papers nor books were missing. Chief
Williams was notified of the affair but
there is absolutely no clue. With the
help of the chief the safe was doctor
ed up and it is now nearly as good as
it was in the first place, after having
gone thru a much worse experience
about twelve years ago.
The outer door of the safe is never
locked and no money is ever placed
within it and left over night 1t is
papers against loss by fire and as re-
ceptacle for small amount of money
during the day time. Evidently some
person burglariously inclined thought
otherwise. They burst open the side
door of the Office, and it is supposed
proceeded Immediately to business.
The outer door had been shut and the
combination turned a few numbers.
This was successfully worked but the
inner door was locked with key lock-
A small hole was drilled underneath
the lock and quantity of powder in
serted which was ignited supposedly
by fuse. The force of the explosion
blew the lock from it's fastening on the
inside of the door and after that the
contents were exposed. The papers
and books We're carefully laid out on
the floor and examined, the drawers in
the locks of which the keys were, had
been opened, but the burglar was evil
IDENTIFY disguised and did not even take
small amount in postage stamps in
one of the drawers. The firm makes
it practice of removing the small
money drawer from the safe and plac-
ing it on top. This plan was followed
last evening, as it had been for years,
but the burglar evidently thought it a
ulind or was too obtuse to take the hint
that no funds were in the safe. Usu-
ally Mr.. McGavic had card hung to
the combination knob with the infor-
nation that the safe is unlocked and
for people with burglarious intent to
turn the knob to the left and shoot the
, bolts, but this was neglected last even
ing and if the intruder had not been
experienced he might have tried to
blow that door also. AS it happened
he attempted to work it first, and sue
ceeded.
The inside of the safe smells strong
ly of burned powder and it is safe to
assume that that explosive was used.
No one has been found who heard the
sound of the explosion, but it must
have been caused by burglar who has
been in the habit of making his rich
| hauls from lumber offices and was ev-
| identity unacquainted with the habit of
the firm in leaving no cash in it.
| Chief Williams went to the scene of
the safe blowing but found nothing
that would give him clue. The chief
is a blacksmith by trade; he was
| taught it in the days when people OF
that craft made their own horse shoe
nails, and by the same token were
| taught to make almost everything else
| that is manufactured from the same
| material. Accordingly the chief gath
cred the pieces of lock together
Strengthened out pin here, replaced a
screw there, put the lock back on, and
the safe which has been in use since
1876, is nearly as good as new.
About twelve years ago the inner
door of the safe was pounded up by a
burglar who evidently had no weapon
other than an ak. The door bears the
marks of the encounter to this day
but it was pounded into shape again
and still does service. About $12 was
taken on this occasion.