Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-09
BURGLARS IN NORFOLK.
Destroyed Combination Lock and
 Wrecked the Vault Door.


 Norfolk, Conn, Oct 9.-An unsuccess- ful attempt was made by burglars last night to break into the vault of the savings bank here. They destroyed the combination lock and partly wrecked the vault door, but the time lock on the inside of the heavy door controlled five bolts which prevented them from completing their work. Although nl- tro-glycerine was used, people living close to the bank were not awakened by the explosion which smashed the bank windows, and the break was not discovered until this morning. The officers have description of q stranger who was seen lettering about the bank ten days ago, and who is suspected of being the leader of the gang.
 Entrance to the cstone building in which the bank is located Wasfobtained by cutting a hole in the glass of a front window, through which the burg lars crawled inside. From two black smith shops in the village they secured sledge hammers and drills. The ham, 1 mers were used in smashing the dial of the combination lock
 The outside of the vault door is of steel and the inside of drilled iron, many rivets holding the sections to- gether. The force of the explosive | used was sufficient toa tear off the head of thirty-fve of these big bolts and hur1 them through the bank windows and across Main street, Instance of seven rods. Samuel Reel, lineman in the em- ploy of the Southern New England company, was the first to learn of the attempted break when he passed by the bank at this morning. He no- ticed holes in several windows and go- ing across the streetlto grocery asked who had been firing shots at the bank windows. There was great excite ment in the village as soon as the news of the break was circulated, and all day anxious depositors have been com ing in from the country districts to as- sure themselves of the safety of their funds. w. M. Clark, treasurer of the bank, opened the vault door at 73O a. m., when the time lock released itself automatically, and found everything secure within.
 As the clock in the bank stopped at - :, -AAett AS SuPpO'NA U Adf CH OcCli tAlC time at which the explosion occurred, and it is strange circumstance that no one seems to have been awakened by it. George Clark, brother of the treasurer, lives next door to the bank and was sleeping within ten feet of it last night
 When the suspected stranger was nos ticed about the village ten days ago his actions gave rise to a little distrust and alarm which was sufficient to lead one merchant, at least, to take precaution- ary measures. This was Winthrop Cone. senior member of the firm of Cone & O'Connor. who with his ne- phew slept in the store that night with loaded revolvers handy in readiness for robbers No break was made in the neighborhood that night. however, and the stranger was fast being forgotten when last nights attempt on the bank made him again an object of suspicion He is described as being about feet 10 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds with. full red face and black nous tache, He was well dressed. After being here on the day mentioned he disappeared, and has not since been seen by the townspeople The au- thorities hope the description they have will lead to his apprehension.