Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-27
Office Of an American Express
Company Robbed
TEE THIEVES GOT $4,000 FRANCS
Gagged the Waterman and
Deliberately Dynamited Safe.
ARE SAID TO BE AMERICANS

PARIS. April 27.-Three masked burglars
entered the American Express Company's
office last night, surprised the Waterman
asleep. gagged and bound him and escaped
with $4,000 francs.
The burglary was carried out most
audacfously, and was evidently the work of
American experts.
Manager Dalliba. after going over his
books finds that $4,000 francs were taken.
The manner In which the burglars pro-
ceeded indicates that they were familiar
with the arrangements Of the Office. The
street door was opened with the proper
key. as the lock. which Is equal to q safe
lock- was not scratched.
An American colored boy who was sleep
ing on the second story says he was awak-
ened at about in the morning by q chok-
ing sensation and found a man. with his
face half hidden by q handkerchief. kneel-
Ing on his chest, with his thumbs pressed
on hts the boy's) windpipe. Another man
beside the bed. pointing a revolver at his
head. A third man held q portable electric
lantern. the light from which was shining
in his eyes. The latter said, with q good
American accent:
Don't move. or I'll shoot you. We have
come e here to do little job and mean to
Gag in Boys Mouth.
towel into the mouth of the boy, who said
he was almost scared to death, and tried
to wriggle his head. whereupon one Of the
men dealt him a heavy blow on the head
with his fist. which left big bruise. The
burglar. still according to the boys story,
then tied his legs and arms 80 tightly as
almost to cut the flesh. while he left the
marks Of his knees on the boys chest.
ra a
ton in English left the room. and the
third. according to the story told. quietly
drew up chair and sat by the bedside,
with revolver pointed at the boy and the
rays Of the lantern directed at his face.
The burglar, the boy added, again said:
Now. lie still and you WIN not be hurt,
but II you are troublesome l will blow out
your brains"
The boy. continuing his story, said he
then heard the noise of the burglars work.
ing below, drilling. hammering and laugh
ing. apparently with not the slightest fear
of interruption. Later, he said, he heard an
explosion. and then a second detonation,
which shook the premises.
After a short Interval his guardian. who.
from time to tine, had exchanged kind Of
bird-whistles' with lifs confederates below.
smeared sometifn on, the boys face and
said:
II am going dawn stairs to help my pals
for ten minutes. II you stir l will kill you
when come BACK" -
The boy said he then lost his senses. and
had evidently been chloroformed. When
he recovered, he asserted, he was afraid to
move. ++
Found by ONCE Attendant.
An office cleaner, who arrived at the ex-
press company's Office at $50 am, found
the street door, ajar. the safe dynamited
and the boy. gagged and bound. lying on
the floor beside his bed. upstairs. The
burglars had collected the heavy carpets
from the reception. rooms and wrapped
them around the safs In order to deaden
the sound Of the explosion.
They overlooked a packet OF French
bills, worth 5000 francs, and number Of
gold pieces bent by the force Of the OK
plosion. were found at the bottom OF the
SAFE The burglars also left behind them
a complete outfit of American burglarizing
tools. The safe was OF the best French
burglar-proof make. Luckily It contained
ssss %sass aha1 We're
touched.
that the policemen heard or saw nothing Of
the burglars. in spite of the fact that the
latter worked loudly, and that the sound OF
the explosions was sufficient to waken a
porter on the top story OF a building across
the street and cause him to descend and
search his own house for intruders.
The street door Of the express company 8
Office was also left open by the burglars for
over three hours. without the police not1c-
ing it. Yet the office is located In the CEN
ter OF Paris and is surrounded by business
houses. 90
John Munro's American bank is only a
few PAGES distant
The express company's Office has a long
frontage facing the opera house. 1t was
opened about year ago. The reading rooms
are much used by American travellers
Later it became known that the police
had detained the colored boy Waterman, not
being satisfied with the story he told Of the
burglary.