The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-06-13
Another Safe Blown Open.

- PROFESSIONAL crackSmen, thursday morn
ing, shortly after he rang the bell on the
tower at midnight After performing this
y duty, which is an old time custom, Hance
J. made his rounds of the buildings wound
t the clocks, and returned to the store room
to rest previous to ringing the bell again
at one o'clock. With his back toward the
L door he picked up a newspaper, and just
/ as he began to read some one entered
!. Looking around quickly, Hance was con-
! fronted by a man holding revolver in
each hand
Throw up your hands, he command
i ed Don't you speak one word. Keep
perfectly quiet or l will kill you. If you
= make any outcrY whatever it will be all
: over with you.
d Then another man entered the room,
and Ne exhibited revolver in each hand,
and four pistols were pointing at the
frightened Waterman, who began to re-
alize that it was no Joke. Then third
man entered, all wearing masks. 1--WE
have only few hours to stay here" he
said, 'but if we are caught we will get
2 twenty years, so you had better remain
/ quiet.
Hance was ordered to hand over his re-
volver, but he said he had no weapon
This answer was not satisfactory and the
men searched him. On his person was
gold watch and two weeks pay, but these
things the robbers did not take, although
! one of the unwelcome visitors relieved
him of his pipe and smoking tobacco.
Securing some wire taken from one of
the shops, the men bound Hance to the
chair by his hands and feet. A thick
towel was folded and tied over his face
which shut out his sight, prevented him
from speaking, and making breathing a
J difficult matter.
One man was placed on guard over
Hance, two others took positions at the
gates and the other two entered the office
of the company on the first floor of
which is located the post office, into which
the robbers effected an entrance, securing
about $35 in money, belonging to Harvey
Lippincott, the assistant postmaster, and
about $50 worth of stamped envelopes.
Everything in the Office was turned topsy-
turvey by the robbers in their search for
valuables. They ripped out some of the
furniture and fixtures, leaving a pile of
debris on the floor.
Before continuing further operations
the men went to Hance and inquired:
"How are you getting along, old man p
A nod of the head was Hance's answer.
Don't worry. We won't do you any
harm if yor keep still, was the assurance
given by his unwelcome visitors.
Returning to an adjoining room the
men directed theif attention to the large
Harveyized steel vault, in which post
age stamps, money and valuable papers
belonging to the company are kept. Fail
ing in their attempt to drill a hole in the |
structure, sledge was procured and the |
knob on the lock was broken off. Nitro |
| glycerine was used but the first charge |
did not open the vault Another charge |
| L
The two explosions were heard by many |
residents of the town, the conclusion |
being reached by several that somebody |
was discharging gun.
While sitting bound and gagged in his
chair, HaDce could hear the men talking. |
One of them said: 'Ill fetch the thing
this time" The man standing by Hance
told him to look out, as the vault would |
surely be blown to pieces In few min
utes there was another terrific explosion
which shook the building to its very foun
dalton. This time the outer vault door
few open, but ii was not injured in the
least. The inner door was only fastened |
with a paddock and chain, and this was
easy work to remove. The damage to the
vault will probably reach 5000.
The important papers of the company
were left behind, but Postmaster William
the value of $3.50 which were taken. 1t
will not be profitable job for burglars to
visit that place again, as all valuables in
the future are to be kept in the vault of
the Union National Bank at Mount Holly !
The robbers also secured $50 in money.
This was in pay envelopes for some of the
workmen. 1t had been placed in the
vault for safe keeping until they called
| for it.
Having concluded their operations the
quintette again paid their respects to the
Waterman, giving an extra turn to his
wire bonds, in order that he might not es-
cape and give an alarm with the bell be-
| fore they could get safe distance from
the town. They told him if he valued
his life he must keep quiet. Good bye, "
said the men, and the Waterman was left
to mediate in silence over his exciting
experience.
| 1t was then up to Hance to free him
self Feeling sure that all danger had
passed, he began to rub his head against
the wall of the building, and by this
method he got rid of the towel. About
an hour later he regained the use of his
| feet With his hands and the chair rest
| ing on his back, he crossed the bridge to
the boarding house. Proceeding up the
stairs Hance kicked vigorously against
door, but the occupant would not open it.
thinking that burglars were trying to
break in. The same alarm was given at
another door. 1t was partly opened by }
the occupant, who, seeing a STOPPING OBJ
iect with chair fastened on its back,
gave the impression that "Old Nick" was
about and the door went to with bang. |
| The next attempt was more successful, |
| as the occupant of the third room heard |
the Waterman tell of the robbery. Get |
ting his razor the boarder sought to re- /
| lieve his friend of the unpleasant bonds |
which held him firmly to the chair. "Be |
careful you don't cut me, cautioned |
Hance, as his rescuer began to slash the
keen blade of the razor across the rope"
But only a second was required to find |
that the man was saving away on wire |
The latter was then severed with a saw |
The alarm soon spread among the in
mates of the boarding house, and when |
Capt. Elton A. Smith attempted to sum-
mon Thomas r. Finley, secretary and
treasurer of the company, it was found |
that the telephone line to Mount Holly |
was out of order, and two men were sent
here after him, and the treasurer arrived
at the works about 3 o'clock.
There are facts in the case leading to
the belief that one of the robbers was
a former employee in the machine shops. |
1t was considered strange, too, that the
safe should have been blown open on the
very day when the receipt of 81 900 worth
of postage stamps was expected.
In some cases postmasters are liable for
| losses, but where it can be shown that the
robbery was not the result of carelessness
or the lack of proper precautions having
been taken to preserve the property of the
government, it is usually customary fo
the Postoffice Inspector making the in
quiry to recommend that the postmaster
be reimbursed for his loss, but in no case
can reimbursement exceed $4,000.
There is no question about the lost prop
erty being well protected in this case, and
Postmaster Kelley will probably not suf-
fer loss by the daring operations of the
"Yeggmen" who are supposed to belong
to the main line" gang of professional
safe blowers.
Frank Crawford, who lives quite dis
lance from the works, was up that night
He heard the explosions and missed the
2 O'Clock bell, but burglary did not enter
his head He told his wife that some
thing was wrong and that he was going
to the works After getting dressed for
this purpose he started down stairs, but
: Mrs Crawford became alarmed and pre-
vailed on her husband to remain at home
Twenty five years ago, when this vault
was constructed, 1t was the boast of Heze-
? kiah B. Smith, that burglars having the
: necessary tools could not break it open if
given two days in, which to accomplish
} the work.