The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-21
Attempted
DAYLIGHT
ROBBERY.
Wall Of a Cambridge Bank
Blown Out by Dynamite,
tho Police Believe.

Cambridge, Mass, May 2l,-What Che
police believe was a daring attempt TO rob
The Cambridgeport National Bank of this
city by the use OF dynamite in broad
daylight was revealed at 1O:i5 a. m. to-
day by an explosion In the bank which
blew out the side of the office and dam
aged other parts of the building. cash.
Ter Wm.. l.. Roaf sustained a bad wound
on the head
III the explosion was a part of plot
to rob the bank, the plan failed as far
-bo6ty-w -was-eeneefheti, fef=AethiHs -ef
value was taken from the place. No one
remembers having seen any one about
the place either before or after the &C.
currence. who was considered suspicious.
The fact that the centre OF the explosion
was at that part of the wall between the
banking rooms and the hall of the build
ing against which the cash box used 10y
the tellers usually rested, is the principal
evidence i'm the hands Of the police be-
lleved 90 substantiate the robbery the
Ory.
IL is thought from the force OF the con-
cussion and other evidences that dyna-
mite was used and that IL may have
been set OF by time fuse.
The bank is i'm a four-story brick
structure on Massachusetts, avenue n ar
Central square directly i'm the business
centre OF Cambridge. The shock Of the
explosion was felt for several blocks but
no damage was done outside of the bank
building.
AT about l0:45 this forenoon Mr.. Roaf
was standing by the counter near the wall
which separated the bank office from the
hall. few feet from him Mr.. Davis
was at work on "A ledger. Mr.. Roaf was
talking 10 II. ID. Murphy, citizen OF
Cambridge, who was about 10 open an
account at the bank.
Al an unexpected moment the place was
shaken by violent explosion, the wall
near which Mr. Roaf stood, was blown
into the room, and the place was filled
with dense cloud of dust. A falling
brick struck Mr.. Roaf on the side Of the
head near the ear, inflicting u deep wound
although il did not fracture the skull. Mr..
Davis was thrown across the apartment
by the force of the explosion and fell
near the outer wall.
Both Mr.. Roaf and Mr.. Davis and Mr..
Murphy who was outside the counter.
were blinded by the flying dust from the
wall and It was moment before they
could collect their wits enough 10 know
what had happened.
Mr.. Murphy ran into the street and Mr..
Roaf staggered after him. Then Mr. Da-
Wis emerged from the building. Davis
remained without long enough To shout
for the police. when remembering his re-
sponsibility, he ran back into the build
ing 10 prevent further harm from com
ing to the banks property.
Ii took but "A short time TO ascertain
that nothing of value was missing. The
police were promptly on the scene and an
investigation of the case was begun Inn
mediatcly It was found that a large
hole had been blown i'm the partition Of
the bank office. This hole was at a point
where the counter touched the wall, and
II was the custom of the cashier to place
against the wall near by a large wooden
cash box, with n cover, which he used
for his convenience I'm transacting busi-
ness When this fact became known the
police AT once expressed the belief that
robbery was the motive of the explosion,
and that dynamite or other explosives
had been placed against the wall.