The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-10
SafecrackerS Failed in At
tempt at Pennsylvania
Ticket Office.
FLEE HURRIEDLY,
LEAVING TOOLS
Iron Door Almost Broken Down.
Mystery How Men Entered
the Place.

One Of the bodies. attempts at rob
! berry reported TO the police in many
iyears occurred late last night or early
/ this morning. when thieves made an
/ unsuccessful effort to loot the ticket
Offices Of the Pennsylvania railroad.
Fifteenth and c streets northwest.
! Plate-glass windows give a fun view OF
! the office from both Fifteenth and O.
, streets.
Frightened by passerby who did not
discover them, the burglars gave up the
lOb, AFTER they had succeeded in crack
ing the door If the safe, and departed
I so hurrledly that they left their tools
on the floor.
That thieves had spent several hours
! IN the offices during the night was seen
as soon as q clerk opened the ofDce
this morning The cash drawer ia the
, counter used by the Union Transfer
Company had been broken open and s.
stolen The front OF the safe was
scratched and marred. and the knob
had been all but broken of on the
floor was large macninists hammer.
Much Frequented Corner.
How the thieves operated without
] being detected by persons On the street
IS mystery. There is hardly a min
ute during the uight that several per-
sons are not standing OH the corner
waiting for Georgetown OF Fourteenth
street car. Several policemen DO duty
I all night in the vicinity, ard the large
plate glass windows On each side OF
; the Building give fun view OF the Of
I flee The safe which the burglars at
I tempted 70 crack was not three feet
from one OF the Q street windows.
Inc sdIe IS so badly battered that il
/ IS evident the thieves worked on IL
{ Tor some time. When B. NJ %ewbold
passenger agent OF the Pennsylvania
railroad. opened the safe il was found
/ that there were two cracks extending
I the fun length Of the back OF the door,
and few more blows with a heavy
! hammer would undoubtedly have
smashed the door.
The thieves must have made enough
noise with The hammer 10 have been
heard some distance, Yet the police
nave been unable TO find anv one who
Z heard them, or even knew they were
at work. The ticket office IS on the
ground floor of the Home Life Insur-
ance IomDany.s building There IS a
WatcEmau stationed in the building all
night. but he heard nothing.
Considerable Mo1ey in Safe.
The safe conteined a large sum OF
money, hundreds Of dollars having been
taken In from the sale Of tickets dur
+. ing the day. Considerable money he
longing 10 the transfer company was
also locked I'D
--tlt-d- Olltt GeLeCLlNe 0UTDWeIi. who
was detailed CH the case, said that there
WAS rot a clue on which % work. There
vas nothing 10 indicate how the thieves
effected an entrance The side window
WAS open when the CLERKS arrived this
Z morning. but the police think this was
I opened from the inside by the thieves.
who made their escape ia this manner.
I rho nol.Ce arc inclined 90 the theory
I lrat the place was entered by a base
ment door, which IS left open during the
day to let iu ,IT. Il Is thought this
door may have been open last night
, although the clerks say everything was
securely locked when they left at g
O'Clock
About two weeks ago thieves entered
} the buffet OF tie Riggs House just
/ across the street and broke open the
I cash register There was lao money in
I the drawer. however. and the thieves
( did not disturb anything else.
/ The police say that while the Job last
/ night does not appear 20 be the WORK
! of professionals. they believe they were
/ at least three in the gang. One Of the
men was evidently posted on the out
/ side Of the building. and when some
I one was seen coming Up The street gave
| his sccomplices the signal % get away.