The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-06
HERE IS one MORE
SALT LAKE MYSTERY
Exceptionally Clever Burglary
Is Committed at the Heidel-
berg Salocn.
MONEY AND CHECKS TO
AMOUNT OF $500 TAKEN
Very Peculiar Methods Appear
to Have Been Employed
by Thief.

Leaving behind him evidence which
charactcrizes him as either m eHcep-
tionalIy clever crook or a buuGhn@
ltyro, q safe cracker entered the Hcjdcl
berg saloon some time after l2:50
o clock Sunday morning, opened small
safe and escaped with approximately
500 in cash aud 500 in checks. The
burglar also took the strong box and
tho cash book which il contained, be
sides the data regarding ihc sales, a
small book containing records Of the
business Of the past year, The burglar
left no clue. but he overlooked ncgo
table stock certificates valued at 5000.
! Entrance was gained through the sky.
| light above tho lavatory.
I According 20 tho story told by Karl
| II, Mayer, sole proprietor of the lleld"l.
borg, he and two employees of the sa-
loon left the place at l2:50 o clock sun
day morning. Mr. Mayer said be was
positive that he had closed and locked
The combination of the safe before lear-
ing; in fact, be had made the state
ment 10 his employees as be was closing
the door of the safe that the crooks
would get his money some morning.
The police consider this incident sig
nidcaut, as it removes thc doubt that
the safe had been left open.
Some time during the morning the
safe cracker entered the saloon through
the skylight in the rear, and in the
full glare of the arc lights, which he
was unable TO switch or. wheeled the
safe from behind the cigar counter.
along the narrow space behind the bar
and out into the layatory. Here he
proceeded TO open the strong box at
his leisure, and did this. according TO
the police. by and Of tho combination,
which he must have had.
Thought to Be Blind
After opening the safe and rihing
IL of its contents. the burglar knocked
of the knob Of the combination, left
Il small stone cutters chscl and a drill
lying alongside the safe. broke the
locks off the back kitchen door aud
went out into the darkness. One feat
urc of his work which sets him apart
from all other safe crackers who have
worked in this CITY. is that nc carried
of the hammer with which he knocked
off the knob OF the combination. and
Ilert the drill and chiscl lying IN front
OF the safe.
The first person ia discover the rob.
berry was James Pico, n porter. who en-
tered TO clean up the saloon Sunday
morning at 7:30 o clock. Pico waited
until the arrival of the cook. John
Solomon, who telephoncd the news TO
Mr.. Mayer, and Mayer Immediately
went down TO the saloon. and after
making an examination, tClephoned to
the. police.
An expert in the employ of the po-
I ~, ti,,n
of the door of the safe and reported
that in his opinion the man who had
! opened the safe knew the combination
and had merely knocked of the knob
as blind. Tho expert gave as rea,
son for this belief the peculiar mcchau'
ical construction of the safe door,
which made il Impossible TO open the
safe without the combination being
known, even after the knob had been
removed. The combination and the
locks OF the safe were in perfect con.
dition when examined Sunday morning
/ by the police.
Theories Advanced.
Mr., Mayer could give no possible ex
planation Of the affair which would
help the police. lie stated that bht
three persons knew the combination
suspicion. and the man who had put
in the combination. When asked as
30 the exact amount of money In the
safe, Mr.. Mayer said that he was un-
able to say, on account Of the fact that
the cash book had been taken. but he
added that it was more than S400.
Two theories have been advanced In
police circles regarding the person who
did the work. One is to the effect that
the mau was perfectly familiar with
the habits of the persons employed IN
the saloon. knew on which night there
would be the greatest amount of cash
on hand (Mr. Mayer stated that he had
failed 10 hank on Saturday,. and in
some way had secured the combination
Those supporting this theory point 10
the fact that The leaving Of the chisrl
and drill, the carving of of the ham
1 mer and the knocking off of tSe knob
Indicate the work OF a tyro in tbs safe
cracking business. They also ask WHY
n safecracker should take cash book
and be careful to select it from among
n number of others in the safe.
The other theory is to the effect that
the man who did The Job was an excep.
tionally clever safe expert. who opened
the combination after listening TO the
falling of the tumblers. Those who adj.
Vance this theory contend that the ro.
mander of the FFevidcnce was y
blind.
A private safe may be rented in the
fire and burglar.proof vaults Of the