The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-07-17
Bricks Used by Thieves to
Build Lair for Goods
Stolen From Stores
MYSTERY IS CLEARED
Detectives Find the Hiding
Place of Rich Plumber
Lost by Merchants

Near the heart OF one Of the busiest
shopping sections in the city the police
discovered . lair of thieves yesterday
.erHfpE- The den Was fouad IN the
ained part of the Albert Pike niemor-
fal temple. IN GearF street near FiIl-
nsore. and ssns partly filled With stolen
EOOds. The temple Is within stones
In Fillmore street
Policemen Brown and Harvey discov-
cred the robbers roOst and sefzed the
loot. consisting of JeweIry. clothing,
bolts Of cloth and an opium smoking
layout The patrolmeB were fnvestf-
eating robbery which occurred early
yesterday morning in the tailoring
store of GOrdan & Co. at 1885 Fillmore
street when they made the unusual
nrd. The robbe-s had entered the
store from tbe reor door of the shop,
which Is separated from the den OF the
thieves by a board fence.
In inspecting the store Of Gordsn &
co. the policemen noticed q plat
form between the fence and the half
demolished wall of the temple. They
clambered TO the platform and were
surprised to find a rope. which. run
ming through a pulley. operated
crude elevator by which the robbers
pulled themselves UP or let themselves
down. Thoroughly mystifed the po-
lice let themselves down cautiously
into the chaos Of brick and broken
stone below. Here they found den.
made from loose bricks and large
enough TO hold a gang Of robbers and
considerable loot The place gave evil
dence OF having been recently deserted
by the thieves and the jewelry and
other valusbles were apparently what
was left hurriedly by them when they
The cloth stolen from Gordan & Co.
apparently had been carried of by the
robbers when they fed. but consider
able quantity Of plunder was left be-
hind and this was taken 10 police
headquarters by Brown and Harvey.
A Gordon OF patroimen in plain
clothes patrolled the block all day,
waiting for the return of one or more
OF the robbers, but they apparently
had heard OF the seizure OF their
stronghold and none OF them appeared
The April earthquake completely de-
naolished the rear portion Of the me-
mortal temple. leaving the front partly
standing. The front section OF the
temple was rebuilt and is occupied by
the Masonic order. The rear part was
left q heap OF brick. stcne. twisted
gsrders and broken stones and this
was the section the thieves chose.
While the occupied portion was busy
with life and activity the ruined section
was habited by rats and the robbers.
The thieves could sneak through the
fence IN the shadow. and once inside
were at liberty to dispose quietly OF
their loot IN the den which they let
themselves down into BY means of the
elevator which they had built From
the lair a. their convenience and as
opportunity Afforded they carried their
plunder out and pawned it or sold It
70 second hand dealers.
The discovery explained mystery
which had bsfaed the police for some
time. The wholesale thefts OF stores
where the robbers took their plunder
away by the cartload were explained,
for there was room in the den to hide
= great quantity OF loot