Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-21
BLOW UP BROADWAY SAFE
Burglars Get Little Cash, Three Checks
and Other Papers.
SECOND WYTA1loN TO W. /. DOUGLASS
work is Supposed 70 BE that Of
Amateurs, Although They work
So Quietly tho sIumbers Are
Not Disturbed.

The safe in the once Of the Eagle laundry,
va West Broadway. was blown open early
yesterday morning. The burglars secured
$500 in cash, three checks and several
valuable papers belonging to the proprietor
Of the laundry, W.. L. Douglass. AS John
Smith. the patrolmsn on the West Broad
way beat. in making his last round at 4
q m, noticed the light burning in the
once and everything apparently all right
the police are Of the opinion that the safe
blowers got in their work between that
hour and 8 o'clock. That the safe had beer
blown was not discovered until the en-
ployes went 10 work about 7 o'clock.
The safe blowers secured entrance Il
the once through an unfastened side
window. Indications are that they took
time at the Job and took every precaution
possible to deaden the sound Of the ex-
plosion and attract attention. Before start
ing to work on the safe they removed from
the top OF Il a large cabinet, which weighed
about 400 pounds. This they placed In the
center Of the floor. They drilled a hole
through the top OF the safe for the evident
purpose OF a vent. so as to reduce the noise
Of the explosion. Then they drilled a second
hole near the combination on the door
Black powder was used to force the safe
and this leads the police to believe that the
work was that Of amateurs and not pro.
fessional safe blowers.
The safe door was blown open, but moi
on its hinges, and the interior was shat
tered. h force Of the explosion blew of
its hinges q door leading into the laundry
and in the rear of which the safe stood.
Nobody Notices the Racket.
The explosion was not heard by any Of
the residents In the vicinity, although be
tween 8 and 6 o'clock dogs belonging Il
Jack Whitaker, who lives directly acrosI
the street, did considerable barking, sup.
posedly having been disturbed by the noise
Of the safe blowing.
Patrolman John Smith passed the laundry
building at 4 o'clock on his way to the
police station, he being on the dog watch
At that time the Hight In the once wa,
burning brightly and the blind on tn,
window was open, leaving the interior o.
the once visible from the outside. Thil
makes the police believe that the safe wal
blown after that time. When the employee:
arrived for work yesterday morning abou'
Z O'Clock they found the electric ligh
turned OF and the chimneys and shades
belonging to the gas lights on the counter
II is supposed that the burglars took o
the glass shades and ohimneys. fearing tina
the explosion would shatter. them and in,
crease the noise.
The burglars obtained little booty TO
their trouble, as in addition to the $40
in cash they secured only a check on tn,
Omaha National bank for s2S.T7, a checl
on the Council Bluffs Savings bank 70
tt.Tb and q Maryvllie. Mo-, draft for t42. II
Mr.. Douglass worst loss is a number o
private papers, including deeds TO res
estate and insurance policies. which are o
no value to anyone except himself.
Blown Open Once Before.
Three years ago the safe in the sam,
once was Blow open and the burglar
secured $50 In cash and valuable papers
The safe was a small one and the robber
had no trouble In forcing It. No clue Il
the safe blowers was ever obtained. A
that time Mr.. Douglass replaced the SAT
with a larger and more substantial one
He also had the interior Of the once re
modelled so that the safe was In plain view
from the window.
M only clue the police have is a four
ounce medicins bottle which contained tn
black powder used In blowing the safe
This the burglars left behind them. Tn
bottle Is stamped, ct. A. Jewett, Pharma
eist, Oregon. Ill" The bottle contained
few grains Of powder.