Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-11-15
SAFE CRACKERS DO
A GOOD NIGHTS WORK

Visit the Grand Rapids Brewing
Co.'S Office, Secure a Little
Plunder=-Next to Pete Christ.
mans" Hike" on an Early
Morning Train.
Everything but money and six
bottles of beer were left in the Grano
Rapids Brewing Cos office; and a
broken safe and six empty BOTTLES left
in the office of Pete Christman
tells the story of expert safe
crackers work Monday night.
AS near as the facts can be as
certained from a hasty survey of the
premises operated upon and without
any clew that might point directly at
an individual, or individuals, the
above paragraph tells the story of the
result Of last nights visitation by the
men who evidently have been there
before. 1t is known beyond perad-
venture of a doubt that the visitors
called at the Grand Rapids Brewing
Cos office first, between the hours of
eleven O'Clock last night, and 1:30
this morning. 1t is also known that
they went from that place to Pete
Chrlstman's office back ofjthe brewery
next, because they left the six empty
bottles that they contiscated at the
former place. 1t is known that they
''hot-foOted" across the tracks toward
the river from this place for the rea-
son that thev left their footprints in
the ashes. Later they visited the
Green Bay roundhouse where they
gave the night men cigars, and where
they had evidently been before for
the reason that they left tools
taken from the sectionmens house in
Pete Christman's office. Here they
stayed until the early morning train
when they left for Stevens Point.
This in brief is the story in a nut
shell.
Tuesday morning about 7:3O
the writer made the rounds in COM
pany with officer Garihee, and the
first place visited was the Grand
Rapids Brewing Co. Here it was
found that the safe-crackers had evil
IDENTITY done their work early, and had
taken all kinds of time to do it well.
The outside door of the office was
pried open as revealed by the splinters
found by officer Garihee. The vault
door was not locked with the combi-
nation, and therefore they opened i'll
easily. The fact that they tested il
first is evidence of experience. The
inner door, however, was locked,
but further fact that they were no
noviceses was revealed by the CHS
selling off, of the protruding key hole,
and the further insertion and ex-
plosion of nitro-glycerine This
shattered the entire lock of the inner
door, and the rifiing of the safe was
completed in every way. Not scrap
OF paper, tied or united, was left un-
turned. The beer chips were untieo
from the packages and dumped into
cigar boxes and on the floor. The
checks received during the day in
payment of bills receivable were all
piled in nice little pile and laio
safely on the shelf in the vault. The
fellows evidently had no use for these
even though they amounted to
couple of hundred dollars. This also
proved that they were not green.
The cash, however, was all gone. Not
a penny remained, and while the
amount is unknown, it will probably
amount to fifty or a hundred dollars.
The safe door was again closed,
proving that they were cool chaps.
the locks replaced; the key hole put
back in the place. from which it had
been taken; the outer door closed;
then they Went out into the ware
house where they broke the seal on a
case of beer and helped themselves
to the six bottles that they left at
Chrlstman's place later This work
was done after the watchman had
made his round at eleven O'Clock, and
before 1;30, the time they came to
the round house to spend the balance
of the night and to await the morn
ing train.
At Christman's place they first at
tempted to cut the window, using a
drill first, and then a circular cutter.
Evidently the drill split the glass and
they abandoned this for the more
speedy method of breaking in the
door. Here they were compelled to
drill the safe, as they found a COM
| bination lock. This they did, and in
serted nitro-glycerine and blowed the
door completely off its hinges. Mr..
| Christman, however, leaves only his
books in the safe and therefore they
secured no plunder as they were only
after the coin. They were evidently
after good time as well, and every
indication points to leisurely drink
| ing of the bottle beer that they
brought from the Grand Rapids Brew
ing Cos, warehouse, Having no
further use for the bottles or the
tools that were taken from the Green
Baytool houes. they left them there for