The Penn's Grove record., 1908-03-13
Two Post Offices Robbed
Safes Cracked at PedricktOWn N
Bridgeport.

P~edricktown was aroused last Saturday
morning about 12,45 by the cry OF "hre.'
by Mrs. Ruth Justice, who lives opposite
the post office. Liveryman jacob aventa
was the first to the post once
with a pail of water, and soon
there was a band of men with pals
who fought valiently to put out the fire
which had burned the interior, thru a
partition and the ceiling The interior
of the office had been wrecked by an ex-
plosion which blew the door out OF the
saIe. The stove had been upset by the
safe door and live Goals soon set the in
terror ablaze. But for Mrs. Justices alarm
Red Mems Hall would have burned
down. The robbers had got achisel from
the railroad tool house, pried open the post
office door and split a piece out OF the
safe door so that nitro-glycerlne COULD be
poured in to do the destruction. Fhey
got 1884. "A in money and stamps. Post
master Fl. M. Green has recovered all
but about $3.50.
Mrs. Justice saw the mel in the post
Office at work soon after IL O'Clock. She
gave All alarm but no II responded be
cause they thought it boys in the street,
until the word ''fre" aroused them.
The robbers fired their revolver twice to
brighten her.
After getting the contents Of the safe in
a mail bag which was found at Bridge
port, the three men were seen to walk
towards the station. They had a horse
and buggy OF liveryman Gaventa's hitched
in front of VIM. Cawley's and soon they
were on their way to Bridgeport where
they broke into tine post office, blew the
safe open about 3 o'clock, got about $500
IN money and stamps and drove on to
Woodbury..
Telephone messages were sent from
Pedricktown in all directions, but Bridge
port could not be reached.
About 7 O'Clock the trio were seer
driving into Woodbury. by a policeman
who opened fire which they returned.
{ They then deserted their team and
fled across country to Wenonah. Two
of them were later taken captive by
policemen and farmers after some des-
perate shooting. The third nan escaped:
Both men taken were shot, one badly
in the face, shoulder and back: They
gave their names as William Mccoy 38
years Of age and John Burns II years old.
Several hundred dollars were found on
their persons:
Postmaster H. M. Green recognized
Mccoy as having been in the post office
for stamps OH the day previous to the
safe blowing. He also hired a team of
liveryman Gaventa. Two detectives of
of the Pinkerton detective agency were
in town Oh Monday looking over their
work. After being searched in Wood
bury the men were found to be heavily
armed and plenty OF ammunition. When
asked why they gave up, one said that
'seeing his companion streaming with
blood caused him to loose his nerve,
a thing that had never happened to him
before"
The robbers were in Penn's Grove on
Friday at the post Office where they pur
chased stamps. They also went around
among the fishermen getting prices OH
naptha launches, pretending they wanted
to buy one. The fishermen have not
launchen their boats yet and it is the
supp osition that if they could have found
one they would have also visited Penn's
Grove post office and made their escape
in a launch.