Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-02
BUSY BURGLARS
Col Into a Massachusetts Bank Last Night and Col Away
 Win si4,oOO
NO TRACE OF THEM

Pepperell, Mass, Dec 2.--Four- teen thousand dollars In cash was secured by burglars, who early to- day blew open the vault of the First National bank here. The thorough ness and skill with which the work was performed has convinced the police that the burglars were profess sionals. Three men were in the par ty, and although they were seen es- caping In an automobile all trace of them was soon lost and the author tiles were unable to ascertain in which direction they departed. It Is believed, however, that the burg lars went from here to Groton.
 The bank vault was blown open about two o'clock, at which time the last of three explosions was heard by Ernest Tarbell, who was sleeping next door. The two earlier detona- tions had been heard by him and reused him from his bed, but he was uncertain as to their origin, as the sound was muffled. The third eX- plosiOn, however, was less guarded and was followed by crash and rat tie, as the vault door fell away and interior glass fittings were broken. Tarbell armed himself with a revol- yer and started to investigate. only to find the door of his own house barred from the outside. He suc- ceeded in breaking open his door, and immediately started for the bank. Tarbell reached the bank just as the robbers were leaving in an automobile. After shouting an alarm, Tarbell fired several shots at the burglars. The shots were fired at distance of some twenty feet, but whether any of them took effect is not known. No traces of blood were found in the vicinity. Tarbell followed the automobile for some distance along the main street but was soon distanced, although he went far enough to be reasonably certain that the machine took the road to Groton.
 When Tarbell returned to the bank he found large crowd gath cred, including the few police of the town. No officer is on duty at night and at ? o'clock in the morning, the time of the break, the street was en- tirely deserted. The cashier, Henry F. Tarbell, who was immediately notified of the break, came to the bank to ascertain the amount taken. He found quantity of bills and sil- yer scattered about the vault, giving evidence of the hurry with which the burglars secured their booty. The large quantity of gold stored in one of the inner recesses of the safe was untouched, save for single $10 coin which was missing.
 That the robbers had considerable time in which to work, and that they understood well the manners of safe- guarding against interruption, was shown by an examination of the premises after the burglary. They were practically immune from inter- ference by any person in the immed- fate neighborhood of the bank as they took the precaution of barring the street doors of all the buildings in the vicinity of the bank
 The first two explosions were so effectually muffied that the noise was heard only short distance from the bank, but the third explosion was not muffied. Apparently the burg lars became excited at not being able to force the vault with the first two explosions, and in preparing for the third forgot to take the usual pre- cautions. Their hurried exit short ly after indicated that they were aware of their mistake.
 The explosives used by the burg lars were centered upon the door of the vault, and did little damage away from its immediate vicinity. The third explosion shattered the entire front of the wall, behind which the vault was located. The counters and windows and some other fittings of the office were broken, but beyond this no damage was caused. It is thought that nitro- glycerine was the explosive em- ployed.
 The Pepperell police to-day were in communication with the police of every city and town within con- siderable radius, and expected at any time to hear that the men had been located.
 Up to 10:30 a. m. the authorities had not discovered any clue to the burglars. It is understood that the bank is protected to the extent of $12,000 by burglary insurance.