Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-11
NO CLUE TO SAFE CRACKERS
Trio that Dynamitss Walnut Hill Pest
Office Elu5ss the CfhosrL
THREE aOBBtRs FAIL TO GET BOOTY
Lock DrugEist in store Before EH-
pIoit-Resident sees Them as
They Leave the Scene
OF Crime.

Three rUbbers made an unsuccessful at
tempt at plundering a safe in the postoffice
substation at Fortieth and Cunning streets
between $50 and 3 O'Clock wednesday
morning. They blew off a door OF safe
that contained valuables with nitroglycerln
and left unrewarded for their crime.
Were the federal inspectors on the case
Omaha would now have three-cornercd
man ehase-the city police on the Rummel-
hart, county on the Burke and the federal
officers on the postoffice case. But both
Inspectors Sinclair and Moore are In at
tendance upon federal court at Lincoln.
Assistant Postmaster Woodland went out
TO take an inventory OF the crime Wednes-
day morning
The Walnut Hill Pharmacy occupies the
corner OF the one-story brick building at
Fortieth and Cunning, owned by DIR. S. D.
Mercer. in the rear of which is the post
office. This drug store is owned by w. t.
Grsinger and DIR. f. A. Nelson. They
take turn about sleeping in the store
Tuesday night 1t was Grisinger's turn
When the robbers reached the scene OF
their crime they took the precaution to
fasten the front and rear doors of the drug
store with rope they cat from the awning
so neither door could be opened from the
plosion, and Immediately ran to his doors,
finding himself locked in. He then tele-
phoned to the police, this being their first
tip on the crime.
Front Door Pried Open.
The front door TO the postoffice nao
been pried open with a Jimmy and the
rear door had been broken open with a
small hand axe which had evidently been
too
their entrance successfully the robbers
filled the cracks in the door OF the safe
with nitroglycerin. The explosion blew
the door OF the safe to pieces, some OF
which were found lodged in the ceiling oe
the room. and also blew a large hole in
the floor directly beneath the safe.
II is evident the robbers feared the
noise OF the explosion would attract the
attention of citizens residing Dsarby, as
they left their work uncompleted, not at
tempting to open the door of the strong
box within the safe, so all their efforts
went for nothing. The postmaster in
charge of the substation, Harvie Morse,
said nothing was taken from the post
office, but there would have been a con-
siderable loss IL the robbers mad sue
ceeded in obtaining possession of the
strong box, which was left untouched.
The police believe the attempted robbery
was committed by the same persons who
successfully opened the safe at Benson
about ten days ago.
Explosion of Great Force.
The explosion seemed of such force
| that It is a wonder to me it did not blow
down the wall against which had my
head resting" said Mr.. Grisinser, the
! druggist "As soon as l was awakened !
| tried to get out, but both doors of my
| store had been securely tied by the rob
I bers with heavy ropes. Fortunately tn,
| telephone wires had not been cut and
| teephoned for the police. who released
| me-"
' Both the city police and the government
postoffice inspectors were Oh the scene o
! the attempted safe burglary early Wednes
| day morning. but az yet a good clue 4
, the perpetrators has not been obtained
The safe was practically demolished. bu
the postal authorities are thankful the rob
bers were frightened away before the,
had time to make an entrance to th
strong box. where the cash receipts an,
the postage stamps were kept.
T. F. Sturgess. who resides at sll Nortl
Thirty-ninth street, which Is almost du
east one block from the postofice station
heard the report OF the explosion an,
1 saw NHt buIcc NulptlNst Ut at ledSI GaN
three men whom he has every reason t
believe were the three that committed tn
crime.
SturEeSs Tells what He Saw.
1T must have been about 2:S0 when
was awakened by what I supposed was
pistol shot" said Mr.. Sturgess II oo
cupy a west room in my house, whic
stands on the east side of the street.
jumped up and soon my entire Household
| was aroused. l looked out the front win
dow and saw three men emerging fror
the alley on Thirty-ninth between Bur
and Cunning streets, leading from tn
west, or directly from the rear of the sub
station. They walked Indian fashion-on
after the other-diagonally from the mout
of the alley toward the northeast corne
Of Thirty-ninth and Burt streets. We ther
lost sight OF them
rAbout a year ago our house was er
tered at night, so this Is not the first al
tempt at robbery in that vicinity. Thes
three men last night did not seem TO b
in any particular hurry nor were the
especially wasting time as they proceeded.