Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-04-24
SAFE WRECKED.
Burglars Enter the Wiscasset
First National Bank.
Citizens Aroused By Explosion ard
Robbers Take to Flight.
No PIu"der Secured Probably $500 Was
10 the Sal.

WiscaSaet. April pa determined
attempt was made early Tuesday
morning to rob the First National Hanl
in this town. Burglars entered the
building in which the bank is located
through the office Of George +. SAWYER.
collector Of the port A large charge
OF some powerful explosive was used
upon the door of the safe and so great
was the force of the explosion that the
safe was completely wrecked. a portion
Of the door being blown through an ad
joining brick wall into another part of
the building. In addition to this the
windows of the bank were broken and
the offices generally damaged The
noise awOke nearly everybody in town
and in a very short time a party of
citizens led by Joseph Borlind entered
the bank. They found the place in
condition of great disorder ard a COM
plcte kit of burglars tools scattered
about the floor showed that the men
had left in a hurry. The contents of
the safe We're Immediately examined
by the officials of the bank and ii was
found that nothing had been taken the
burglars evidently having been fright
ened away by the noise Of the explo-
sion.
The building in which the bank is 10
Gated is known as the Wawenock block
and is situated on Main street in the
center Of the business section of the
town The bank is on the second floor
and is adjoined by the offices of George
y. Sawyer and the RineS' barber shop
Entrance was affected to both these
establishments and considerable booty
of a light nature was secured. From
the barber shop the burglars entered
the bank through a light wooden door
with separated the two apartments.
The safe is situated in 4 heavy steel
vault and it is upon the door of this
structure that the men went To work.
4 hole was drilled in the hard steel and
a quantity Of some explosive, the exact
nature Of which is Yet unknown. was
inserted. That the effect of the eXplO-
sion was much greater than was ex-
pected is evidenced by the mems hur-
ried departure. With the exception of
the kit of tools left behind no clue has
yet been discovered by the officers al
though telephone messages have been
sent to all adjoining towns and cities
instructing the police to be on the look
out for all suspicious characters.
From the nature Of the attempted
robbery it is thought by some that it
may have been the work of the same
gang who cracked the safe in the
Maine Central Office at Lisbon Falls a
fortnight ago. AS there We're thought
to be three men implicated in this af-
fair sharp watch will be kept for
three unknown men in the vicinity. 1t
is not considered that the job was done
by professional bank robbers as the
quantity of explosive used and the
manner of entering the bank points to
evidence the work of amateurs.
The president of the bank is Albert
NJ. Card, while the cashier is Frederick
Sewall The capitalization is 100000
and according to the estimates of the
officials there was something like $780,.
900 in money in the interior safe at
the time of the robbery. The inner
door Of the safe was uninjured. and
before getting at the money the men
would have had to force this.
The damage to the building and safe
is estimated at $40O.