The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-24
SAFE-CRACKERS
ROB BPOST-OFFICE
And Fly With $400 in Cash
and Postage Stamps.
A Watetbucket Full Of Postage Stamps Were
Discovered Two Strangers Visited the
Town Thursday and Saturday,

Especial to the News and Observer
Goldsboro, N. c.. March 23-The post
office safe at Mt. Olive was dynamited
at two o'clock this morning by cracks
men and looted of its contents, two hun
dred dollars in currency and two hun
dred dollars in postage stamps One
hundred dollars worth of the stamps
were recovered. late today. at the depot
where it is supposed they were dropped
by the loters in making their flight.
Entrance to the safe was made by first
breaking off the knob to the combina-
tion and then filling the vacancy with
dynamite The door was blown from
its fastenngs and a large hole made
through the wall of the adjoining build =
ing so great was the force OF the ex-
ploson.
DIR. Tatum returning from a call to
the country, heard the explosion, saw
a light in the building, hurried down
to his residence and would have re-
turned to give the alarm but was de-
tanned by his wife Who did the work &?
Cracksmen, of course. On Thursday
two well-dressed strangers arrived in
Mt. Olive. They told the proprietor OF
the hotel they proposed giving a show
Later they turned statesmen and sold one
merchant a bill of chairs and another
a bill of white lead. These individuals
We're in Mt. Olive last night This
morning they have taken wings. 1t is
thought the cracksmen were the same
that recently got in their work at Ruth
erfordton and Lincolnton. The Mt Olive
safe bore the government stamp, hence
is protected by the manufacturers.
- G. J. RIVENBARK.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CRIME
Especial to the News and Observer.)
Mt. Olive N. c., March 23.-The safe in
the Dostoffice here was broken open last
night about 2 o'clock and about three
hundred dollars was missing this morn
ing and all the stamps in the office were
taken also. But a water bucket full OF
stamps were found this morning at the
depot under the trucking shed between
some bales of cotton. Some citizens
living near by the Dostoffce heard the
noise of the explosion about O'Clock,
but thought it was thunder, as there
was rain and thunderstorm. Earlier
in the night the burglars broke in the
blacksmith shop of NJ. o. Summerlin
and secured a lot of chisels and ham
mers. etc. to do the prizing open Of the
front doors of the postoffce The safe
was completely demolished.
There were two strange men IN town
and also again Saturday. and
they didn't seem to have had any bust
ness but were gathering all the informa
tion that was possible about every
thing around the town and every bust
ness man that they talked to they were
in a different business. The first man
they called on they were selling furni-
tuTe and the next they We're going to
bring a show here in a few days and
wanted to contract for board for their
troupe of about twelve in number, and
their next business they were selling
paints and white lead and they both
left town walking and We're going south
They We're well dressed and both had
Dvercoats with them and the weather
here for the past week has been very
warm
Postmaster VIM. ]. Flowers will do
al that is possible to have the guilty
parties caught