Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-09-06
BOLD BURGLARS DAGGED.
A Dangerous Gang Of Safe Rob-
bers Broken UP.
SOME CLEVER POLICE WORK
A Gang Of Safe Blowers Make Aberdce en-
Their Headquarters and Blow Three
Safes in Five Days. Arrested
This Morning.

A bold gang OF safe blowers, whose
work in Aberdeen and Elma has kept
the authorities busy for the past week,
were safely bagged between 6 and Z
O'Clock this morning. The two princi-
pals are evidently old professionals in
their line, and were equipped with all
necessary tools to open any ordinary
safe.
The first work of the gang in this
city was the attempt to blow up the
postoflice safe Friday night. This at
tempt showed the work of experienced
hands, who had thoroughly examined
the situation before commencing opera
tions. Knowing that Mr.. Dale and wife
lived in the rooms over the postoffice, the
burglars fastened the door at the head
of the stairs, by placing screw-eye in
the door jamb and tying the knob Of the
door to it, in such a manner that the
people inside could not get out if they
heard the operations on the lower floor.
They then gained entrance to the post
Office by boring holes in the rear door,
christening the latch, and pushing
aside brace, with which the door was
fastened.
Getting inside, no attention was paid
to anything but the safe. The combi-
nation knob was broken off in the hope
of picking the combination. Failing in
this, they drilled through the top and
inserted dynamite cartridge, which
they exploded by means of fuse. This
failed to blow the door off, as was ex-
pected, and the burglars, alarmed at the
noise of the explosion, made off without
any plumber, and having done no further
damage than the wrecking of the safe,
which is a large one. When the safe
was opened by l.. W. Herrick, Monday,
it was discovered that one-half of the
dynamite had failed to explode, which
accounted for the door not blowing off.
On Sunday night these industrious
burglars did stunt at Elma, where they
blew up the safe in J. T. Shelby's saloon,
and secured about $50.
On Tuesday night the same gang Sc
lected the store of Garman & Barley, in
this city, as promising place to work.
Here they gained entrance about 8
O'Clock yesterday morning, by picking
the lock Of the side door, and proceeded
to drill hole in the top of the safe, in
which they inserted charge Of dyna-
mite, so heavy that it blew the door of
the safe over ten feet, knocking down
desk in its way. The explosion was
heard by some neighbors, who saw two
men, one tall and the other rather short,
running away from the store, and down
Market street.
Messrs Garman & Barley were noti-
fled, and came down to the store to look
up their loss, and discovered that the
robbers had got about 5000 in money,
and had taken pocketbook containing
some very valuable papers, and that their
books were badly damaged. The pocket
book was found later by G. P. L.Robcrts,
on the vacant lot next to Moulton's furni-
ture store, on Wishkah street, wrapped
in a new coat, also taken from the store.
The affair was reported to the police,
and Marshal Pearson and Deputy Sheriff
Graham worked all day yesterday on the
case, and this morning succeeded in
landing their game in Jail. Four men
are under arrest as being implicated in
the burglaries, two of whom are the
principals, and two suspected of being
accomplices. The two who did the work
came to Aberdeen about week ago and
took rooms at the Pratsch Hotel, giving
their names as G. s. Miller and II. II.
Lanolsts. They We're in the habit OF
staying in their rooms until late each
day, and coming in very late at night.
Being out OF town Sunday, they told an
employee OF the hotel that they had been
at Hoquiam, though there is little doubt
that they were doing the job at Elma
Sunday night.
The capture, which reflects great credit
on the officers, came about in this man.
ncr: Yesterday afternoon G. r. Pratsch
informed Marshal Pearson of some
suspicious looking tin tubes in the room
OF ledger in the hotel. Pearson knew
at once that such tubes formed a part of
a safe blowers kit. The occupant OF the
room was the man who was registered
as Lanolsts, and it was learned that he
was intimate with Miller, and search
Of his room discovered pistol and black
mask. 1t was then learned that +. ].