Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-09-05
BOLD BURGLARS
MAKE RICH HAUL

A bold robbery was perpetrated at
J. H. Fry's music store, Mill street,
on Thursday night. A fine eighteen
dollar mandolin, along with much
other property was stolen.
Mr. Fry's establishment is situated
on the west side of Mill street short
distance north of the canal. His room
is full OF musical instruments of all
kinds, in addition to which the shelves
are loaded with miscellaneous sup
plies, consisting of strings for viclins,
guitars, &c.
When Mr.. Fry opened his store
Friday morning he was surprised to
notice that the rear window was rails
ed. The next thing to attract his eye
was a large assortment of glass jars,
and small pasteboard boxes, piled up
on the counter. all empty, although
the evening before they were full of
violin and other strings and occupied
their accustomed places OH the shelves.
1t became evident enough to Mr..
Fry that he had been robbed and, pro-
ceeding to the rear of the store and
looking out of the window, he saw a
ladder leaning against the house. which
explained how the robbers had gained
entrance.
The store room. while nearly ON
level with Mill street in front. at the
rear is the height of one full story
above the ground. For this reason it
was not considered necessary to fasten
the window, which was some fourteen
feet above the ground and almost i'm
mediately over the bed of the creek,
which gave the window an actual
height of nearly twenty feet.
The ladder used by the burglars was
one stolen from the premises of Elias
Maier adjoining. IL was too short to
reach to the window, but by standing
on the topmost round, the burglar
could very easily raise the window
and succeed in crawling into the store.
In order to bring the ladder into prop
er position under the window it was
necessary to rest one side of the lad
der on the retaining wall of the creek
and to allow the other side piece to
project without support over the creek
bed. To secure the ladder so that it
would bear the weight of man the
burglars had tied the lower end of the
ladder to the fence, using an old piece
of rope, which may have been found
about the spot.
Mr.. Fry is unable to tell just how
much may have been stolen. Besides
the fine mandolin missed other instru-
ments of less value may have been car
ried away. He was unable to recall
Friday just how many instruments
were on hand Thursday night. Twen-
ty large jars containing violin, guitar,
banjo and other strings, along with
one hundred small pasteboard boxes al
so filled with strings, were relieved of
their contents. Mr. Fry estimates his
loss at over hundred dollars.
The burglars, it is believed, were
persons acquainted with the premises.
The ladder used was taken from the
rear end of the adjoining lot where it
would not have been very easily found
by strangers.
Beside the empty boxes on the
counter yesterday morning lay large
envelope on which the following was
inscribed in Roman letters
81 no play, butta sella mandoIina.
Gooda mon. L go Scrantona.
But little Importance IS to be at
tached TO the above. The intention
was no doubt rather to taunt Mr.. Fry
AFTER the robbery than to make any
serious attempt to put hlm on a false
clue.