Bridgeton pioneer., 1905-06-29
ELMER POST OFFICE
BURGLARIZED.

Special TO 'f1One6r.
Elmer, June ~ Robbers wre oked and
robbed the Elmer Post Office last night.
and carried off in stamps and money
something between $500 and $1,000,
Postmaster Handle being unable thus
far to accurately establish the loss.
The burglary occurred sometime be-
teen twelve and one O'Clock this morn
ing. People in the vicinity were
aroused by a succession of explosions
caused by the burglars dynamiting the
Post Office safe. and little later the
excitement was Increased by the burg
lars, four of them having a running
gun fight with Sedgwiok Sithens, the
town watchman, constable. Nobody
was hurt in the scrimmage and the
burglars disappeared. leaving Elmer
and going toward Bridgeton.
Widest excitement reigned through
out the town for hours and the tele.
phone and telegraph wires were kept
busy for some time sending out warn.
ing to neighboring towns and cities.
Last night when the last train from
Camden came over the West Jersey
railroad, four strange men got off the
train at Monroeville, and disappeared
shortly afterward from that locality
and were not seen about there again.
Shortly before the Murphy hotel was
closed up stranger, large man
wearing straw hat, appeared in the
bar room and bought bottle Of whis-
key. This fellow has not since been
seen and it is suspected that he was
one of the burglarious parties.
The Post Office is located in build
ing directly alongside OF the Elmer
National Bank building. The inves.
LEGATIONS show that the entrance to
the Post Office was effected by forcing
the rear door. probablya pickax being
used one being taken from the railroad
station and was afterward found in
the building.
The safe door was drilled profession
ally and dynamite was used There
was asuccession of short, sharp explo-
sions, probably thirty in all. The safe
was literally blown to pieces. The
front window of the post office build.
ing and the transom over the door
were blown out. and the interior of
the building was very considerably
damaged.
The burglars evidently made quick
haul, taking something between $500
and $1,000 in stamps ard money.
When the aroused people reached the
Post Office the burglars had fed,
carrying the booty with them.
All over the floor the contents Of the
Post Office were scattered. The burg
lars left nothing behind for identifica-
tion.
Constable Sedgwiok Sithens heard
the explosions. He was some distance
from the Post Office at the time. He
hurried to the Post Office. When he
arrived he saw four mon going out Of
the back way from the Post Office.
He drew his revolver and fred at the
neeing men. The burglars fired back
and for few moments there was a
running exchange of Shots Evidently
no one was hurt, but several bullets
whistled close by Sithens.
There is mortar bed in the rear Of
the Elmer bank, and the burglars evi-
oently stumbled in this, for their
tracks could be seen for some distance.
Within a half hour after the burg
'ary almost everybody in Elmer was
excitedly gathered about the Post
office. Postmaster Handle was early
upon the scene and took charge of the
place. He estimated the loss in money
ana stamps to be something between
$500 and $1,000.
Inc United States Post Office au-
.norlties were notified and will send
Inspectors at Elmer to-day.
All efforts at tracing the burglars
Proved futile.
Suspect Released.