The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-22
CRACK BANK.
Amateur Burglars Tunnel Into
Merchants National.
Enter the Vault Through Base
ment Foundation.
TAMPER WITH SAFE.
Make Feeble Attempt to Force
the Hinges.
Net Profits of the Raid We're
About 80 Cents.
LARGE SUM INTACT.
Over One Hundred Seventy
Thousand Dollars in Safe.
Bank Officials Relieved When
LARGE SUM INTACT.
Over One Hundred Seventy
Thousand Dollars i'm Safe.
Bank Officials Relieved When
Doors Are Opened Today.

A bungling attempt. presumably by
amateurs. or boys, to rob the vault of
the Merchants National bank. was dis
covered Sunday forenoon by E. A. Tir-
rill, assistant cashier. As he opened the
vault to lock up the mail taken from
the DOstoHce, he struck match,
which was blown out by d strong
draught from the inside. Much ex-
cited by the occurrence, Mr.. Thrill
made a hasty examination, and found
that robbers had tunnelled into the
vault through the concrete base. leav-
ing a small hole. The filing cases and
drawers of the vault furniture had
been ransaeked, and papers We're
strewu over the floor.
Mr.. Thrill at once called f. w. Free
man. vice president of the bank. and
they notified the police Sheriff Lucas,
Chief Goodwin. Detectives Pavey and
Gon and Sergeant Voiles came to the
bank and made further investigation.
They found that the robbers had en-
tered the bank basement through
window i'm the rear, where a pane of
glass was missing. A board sheltered
the hole. so that it would not be
noticed from the alley. The vault was
entered by means of a narrow tunnel.
through the stone and concrete base.
This base, which is just the size of the
vault. is com posed of a stone pen, filed
np TO the level of the bank floor with
concrete. The stone wall was pierced
about three feet from the floor. The
stones were removed and neatly piled
under some old sacks and then the
concrete mined away toward the CEN
ter of the foundation When just be-
low the center of the vault floor the
tunnel turned upward through the last
d e.
Under some old screen doors i'm the
basement the officers found the anna
teurish tools used by the robbers. They
consisted of rachel brace AN old
battered hatchet. with the blade put
on the handle up-side-dOwn, and two
home made screw drivers. one of the
screw drivers, which was without
handle, had been used as drill to
loosen the concrete.
After the robber or robbers effected
an entrance to the vault. they were
fOiled as they evidently had no tools
40 work ON the safe. securely locked
with q time lock which was set for
O'Clock Monday morning. They had
wasted some time in removing the
small metal ornaments on the safe,
evidently mistakiug them for locks or
hinges These ornaments were fast
ened ON with small screws. and had
nothing 90 do with the fastenings.
All the filing cases we're rided but i'm
their haste the robbers overlooked
some letters and deGosit slips i'm one Of
the drawers. The robbers got only Il
little change which had been left in
the stamp drawer.
The officers asked the bank officials
to keep quiet about the affair over
night. and let some of them lay for
. the robbers The tools We're neatly
piled away for further use, and the
police were confident that the bank
breakers intended to return Sunday
night with explosives or some other
means of breaking the safe. The bank
officials said that they would have to
make the affair public at once, on ac-
count of rules OF the insurance COM
pauy which protected the safe
Chief Goodwin and Sheriff Lucas,
who took part in the investigation.
placed men i'm the basement to watch
for the return of the robbers, but they
failed to come.
The officers attempted to explore
the tunnel. which is about eight feet
long. but could not find a man I'm their
mum ber small enough TO ma ke the trip.
The oblOng hole through the floor Of
the vault is only 13 = Ks = inches-no
larger than the rim of an ordinary hat.
and jagged on the edges. No one but
q boy or very small man could have
entered the vault by this opening
While detectives were watching for
the return of the robbers. others spent
the evening i'm Investigating sus-
piciOus chaTacte HalI q dozen men
were picked UP, but all released for
want of evidence to connect them with
the crime. The officers are confident
that the attempt was made by bad
lfterat ture' boys, and expect some fond
parent to recognize the clumsy tools as
those missing from the coal houses or
barns.
Large Sum in the Safe.
The lock on the safe was set for Z
O'Clock this morning. and the big ste@
structure could therefore not be opened
until that hour
Promptly when the clock struck this
morning. Fred Freeman the vice presi-
dent of the bank, and b. A. THRILL the
assistant cashier, were at the bank
They swung open the big massive
double doors, and found the contents
Of the safe undisturbed and intact. A
total sum of $173,000 ia cash was in the
safe on Saturday night when the bank
closed. Every dollar was there this
morning.
we felt sure yesterday when the at
tempted burglary was discovered - said
MIR. Freeman, that nothing had been
taken. but naturally q person feels bet
ter when he really sees the money itself
If looked good TO me this morning when
the safe doors were opened. The bur
elar got nothing but about so cents
worth of stamps, which were in a little
tin box on one of the shelves. He over
looked another tin box containing $3.50
which came fu Saturday afternoon after
the bank closed ara which the cashier
-fuDfy placed on q shelf in the vault.