Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-25
SAFE ROBBERS AT WORK
SIX OFFICES IN THE CoRCoRAN
BUILDING VISITED.

Safe robbers. who made an effort to imi-
| tate the work of "yeggmen," paid a visit
to the Corcoran building at an early hour
yesterday morning and entered six offices.
In each they tempered with the SAFE but
| in only one instance met with success.
Evidence of Impotence and rough work
indicate to the police that the thieves
| were not professionals. From the safe in
the Office of the N. D. Mcdonald Company.
publishers, the robbers secured 5000 in
cash. The other Offices entered were those
of A. S. Pratt & Sons. national bank
agents; w. T. Walker, brick company;
the Deis Pump Company; D. H. Tolman,
loans, and the Michigan Mutual Life In
surance Company. The surprising part OF
the affair is that the burglars could oper-
ate in building on SO prominent thor
oughfare, employees being In several OF
the rooms at all hours of the night. There
was a Waterman on duty in the building,
lunch room on the first floor was open,
the operator in the employ of the National
Automatic Fire Alarm office was on duty
and there was some one in the office or
the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company
1t is believed that the burglars used a
hammer and chisel in their efforts to
make haul, and the fact that they were
not persistent in the efforts to open each
of the five safes causes the ponce TO pc
lieve that they were not old hands at the
business. The result of their efforts In
dictate that they expected they would De
able ito force off the combinations from
the Jocks and enter the safes without ex-
periencing much trouble 1t was an easy
matter for them to knock off KNOB with
heavy instrument, but to force the
tumblers and enter the safe was diner
Ont undertaking. Marks on the locks
show that they attempted to accomplish
this by striking chisel against IT.
From One Office to Another.
The burglars went from one office to an
other instead of making a success of one
lob such as professionals usually do, show
ing that they were impatient and perhaps
too anxious to accomplish a great amount
of work in short time. 1t is thought
that they operated between 1 and O'Clock
in the morning, for about that time the
Waterman was engaged in the boiler room
and the occupant of one OF the rooms
heard noises and voices. He thought, how
ever that the noises came from the Kitchen
on the lower floor and he called 10 tne
men there to make less noise. Leaving MS
room and looking into the hail ne d1scoV-
cred that the door of the office of the
Walker Brick Company was open. 1t was
not an unusual thing to see an office door
open, however, but he took the precaution
to call to the superintendent of the build
Ing The office was examined, but nothing
wrong was found.
j. E. Roach, manager OF the Michigan
Mutual Life insurance company, was INC
first to discover what had occurred earlier
in the morning. He reported the matter
to the police. Detectives Pratt and How
lett were sent there to make investiga-
ton. They soon learned that the other
offices had been visited. Capt. Boardman
proceeded to the building and took hand
In the investigation. He was accompanied
by Detectives Horne. Weldon, Flather and
Burlingame.
1t is stated that two strange men were
seen lettering about the hall in the build
ing Saturday night. They were not well
dressed and presented the appearance of
being "hoboes." Good descriptions of them
were furnished the police, and several per-
sons think they would be able to identify
the strangers If caught.
Several robberies were committed In the
building about three years ago. the thieves
carrying off quantity of postage stamps.