The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-12-10
Thieves Made Rich Haul,
< In Massillon.
STOLE $1,000 WORTH
Humberger's Store Entered
About Daybreak and q vaIu-
able Haul m a ade--Were
Clever Crooks.
Massillon, December 9.

One Of the most daring and success
full burglaries in the criminal history
of Massillon was committed at the
store of A. ]. Humberger G. Son, on
North Erie street, Sunday morning at
about half past five o'clock, when silks
. to the value of one Thousand dollars
were distracted.
The thieves entered through the front
door of the building by using skele-
ton key and, going direct to the silk
counter took fifteen pieces of the most
expensive silk in the establishment,
ranging in price from one dollar to
three dollars per yard. They then went
across to the other slue Of the store
and took down two telescopes from the
shelves and packed the stolen silks in
these, getting away without detection.
The silks taken were all black in
color, the thieves selecting these from
the entire stock in the establishment
and leaving behind all the colored and
wash silks and all the other black silks
of cheaper variety.
A light was burning in the store at
the time and Officer Whitman had pass
cd just a few minutes before on his
rounds. In addition to this, as a pre-
cautionary measure, the firm kept a
night watchman who was in the build
ing during the night and did not leave
1t until about five o'clock.
AN EYE ON THE WATCHMAN.
When the watchman left the store
every thing was in good shape and
there had been no person around dur
ing the entire night. The burglars
having evidently waited around until
they saw Watchman \.altZ leave the
place and then using a skeleton key
previously prepared opened the door
and quickly packing the. silk made
away with the plunder.
The police are of the opinion that the
men who did the work had a buggy
in waiting into which they slowed the
silk laden telescopes and hurriedly
drove away from the city. The crime
was committed either by expert crooks
or persons we'll acquainted with the
place They knew the valuable goods
at sight, for the selections would have
done credit to an expert in that line.
The police have no clew on which to
work except the print of mans shoe
heel on the show case where he stood
to take down the telescopes. The rigs
drove through the city at an early
hour and the belief is prevalent that
the thieves came in these and left in
the same manner after they had made
the haul.
The theft was not discovered until
late on Sunday when Manager Wise,
of the silk department, went to the
store and Immediately on entering no
ticed that the goods were missing from
their accustomed place.
RANSACKED 1T THOROUGHLY.
An investigation revealed the fact
that the whole department had been
ransacked and the most valuable goods
taken. The police were at once noti
fed but with no result as the thieves
were by that time so far away that all
hope of catching them was gone. Mr..
Wise placed his firms loss at from
81 900 to $1,000.
This is the first burglary of any mag
nitude that has occurred in this city
In the last four years and, coming as
1t does, on top of so many attempted
hold-ups, the citizens are naturally
much wrought up over the matter. The
work was evidently done by the same
gang that has been terrorizing this VI
cinity for the past two weeks and
whose hiding place and rendezvous Is
as much of a mystery now as when the
members first made their appearance.