Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-24
KNOW IDENTITY
OF CRACKSMEN
POLICE HAVE CLEW TO BANK
ROBBERS
Are Convinced That They Are Dealing
With Professionals and Recognize
the Work as Similar to An
other Recent Burglary

Police detectives have a clew to the
robbers who broke into the Nichi Be
Ginko or Japanese-American bank al
Ill East Fifth street last Wednesday
night or early Thursday morning and
cut open the large Diebold safe, get
ting away with about $4,000 in money
Late yesterday afternoon it was
stated that they had connected the JOB
with persons who had committed
similar piece of work in like manner
and are hot on the trail OF the burg
lars. The chief of police and captain
of detectives positively refuse to di-
yulge any information as to the identl-
ty of the robbers or state to what
former and similar piece of work of the
robbers they refer
The attitude of the authorities is
one of satisfaction as they feel they
have made no mistake in their theory
as to the guilty parties The police ad-
nit only one thing; that they have
professional safe blowers to deal with.
Cracksmen Were Professionals
That it was the work of profession
ais is proven by the fact that COM
pIete safe blowers outfit was found on
the floor beside the wrecked safe. Be-
side the tools on the floor was found
q slightly bloodstained handkerchief
bearing an obscure initial which is
said to be either "M' or ID" The de-
tectives who are working on the case
say they do not place much faith in
the hope that the handkerchief will be
of any material assistance in locating
the thieves. The stains of blood on
1t are believed to have been caused by
the jagged edges of the thin steel walls
of the safe which the robbers found
easy work in penetrating.
Entrance to the bank was effected
through a small partition separating a
bicycle shop, which is located on the
corner of the alley and East Fifth
street, and the rear rooms of the bank.
Once through this wall the robbers
were in a small. enclosed passageway
directly behind the big safe.
The rear walls of the safe are con-
structed of two thin walls of steel en-
closing a plaster of paris wall about
four inches thick. When the robbers
put their new tools to the outer wall
they found no trouble in penetrating
it. The work in getting through the
plasteE of paris wall and the inside
steel wall required not more than 20
minutes.
Work Was Easy
When the wall of the safe had been
broken open they were folded back
like sheet lead. An aperture about ten
inches square was formed and 1t was
easy to remove the money from the
strong box of the safe. The strong
box was lined with only one quarter
inch thick steel and the smaller cash
box with quarter-inch Harveyized
steel.
Nichi Bel Ginko are the Japanese
words for the Japanese American
bank The bank is a branch of the
largest Japanese banking institution in
the United States. The local branch
has a large list of patrons among the
Japanese of this city.
The news of the robbery first became
known when Y. Horiuchi, the cashier
came down to the bank yesterday
morning shortly before O'Clock. The
cashier passed in behind his cage and
In doing so stumbled over a pick ly-
ing on the floor. In another moment
he discovered plastering scattered over
the floor at the turn into the enclosed
passageway behind the safe.
Horiuch rushed to the doors OF the