The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-06
FIVE SAFES AT GREENSBORO
ARE BROKEN OPEN By THIEVES
Not Enough Gotten to Pay for Damages to Axe
Frightened Off by Bullets From
southern's Waterman,
Especial to News and Observer. }

Especial to News and Observer
Greensboro, N. c., Jan. 5.-Thieves and
burglars had the most enjoyable time of
their lives here Saturday night between
midnight and day Sunday morning.
Had it not been for the watchman at
the Southern depot. there is no telling
but what. unmolested and undetected,
they would have split every store door
open. AS it was. five safes were
broken open-with an aXe-actually, and
the panels of the rear doors of two
stores were smashed to obtain entrance.
Greensboro, usually great on novel and
unusual happenings, was strictly up to
the notch in this particular, the strangest
part Of it all being, that the safes
cracked, were not carrying enough money
to pay damages on the axe.
So far, there is not the slightest clew
to the perpetrators of this daring series
of robberies, and the police are bestirrng
themselves to discover the guilty parties.
The course of the bold marauders has
been traced sufficiently to indicate the
following:
The office Of Pitts e Monroe, on Ashe
street, was first entered and the safe
broken with an axe. No money being
found, they broke into the office of E. e.
Balm. Here they found an old-fashioned
big key safe. Finding the key in the
door, and nothing but papers within, they
scattered the papers on the floor, locked
the safe and put the key in their peck
cts to signify their disgust. Next at the
office of the Brooks Manufacturing Com
ha or
three dollars in cash was secured The
big safe of the Richardson Drug Company
was next banged on with the axe, but
as 1t was Of a modern burglar proof
metal. the only damage was to the COM
bination and knobs. which were smashed
out of active service. w. o. Stratfords
junk dealing establishment was next bro
ken into and about 500 pounds Of brass
taken.
The noise occasioned by cutting out
the panels with the axe, of the rear
door to the Mclean Grocery Company's
store, alarmed Mr.. Bud White. the South
ern Railways Waterman, who went over
and saw man in the store. Mr.. White,
from the smashed rear door, opened fire
on him. Quick as a fash the thief grab
bed the ever present axe, rushed to the
front door, gave it a swinging blow, and
cutting through at the second stroke,
While the pistol balls were being planted
in the door facing, made safe exit
to liberty into Main street, where he had
no trouble IN eluding capture or discov-
cry.
Mrssrs. j. D. Murphy, of Asheville, and
R. T. Gray, of Raleigh, members of the
executive committee of the Board Of Di-
rectors of the State Normal and Indus
trial College, were here today for official
work in connection with that institution.
They are completing the final eXamina-
ton of the financial status of the col
lege, preparatory to the final report to
the Governor. Mr.. Murphy reached here
from Asheville at two o'clock this morn
ing, and Captain Gray took no chances,
so left Raleigh yesterday to make sure
of getting here.
DR.. c. D. McIver, District Director of
the Southern Educational Board, left last
night for New York, to attend the first
annual session of that board.
The Guilford County School Board OF
Education, at its session Saturday, raised
the school apportionment from $l.SO to
$3.50. All school houses in the county
will be repaired and reprinted, and the
grounds beautified during the coming
year.
G. Benfield & Co., are building sixty
foot two story addition to their furniture
store.