The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-18
CARRY AWAY VALUABLES
FROM SAFES AND DESKS
Use Dynamite With Skill Of
Experts; One Insists on
Murder.

alcRoTy avenue, locked N tne vault
where be had been for about seven
hours after the toughest Kind OF hand
ling; about $1,000 worth of iewelTy,
silverware and money taken and the
robbers gone on their way. This was
the state of affairs that greeted the
employees of the Bennett Glass and
Paint company when they entered the
place ct 81 West First South street
yesterday morning.
The burglars, who seeE, to have been
professional safe crackers, were ~ the
store building when the night watch
man entered it about midnight When
ticed at once that there was draft,
and upon investigation found window
open near the fire escape. He imme-
diately fastened this and then was
starting on a search for the intruders
when they suddenly appeared before
him. They had guns pointed at him
and told him to hold up his hands and
to keep quiet He saw that they were
not watching him closely, however, and
made a dash for the stairs. They
did not shoot, but when he fell on the
stairs they pounced upon him and
threatening his life, wrapped paint
.NVSSipU hBiph diOns ihSc did thVh
tied handkerchief over this, effect
ually gagging him.
Looked in Vault.
One of the men, from the glimpse
that Hogan got of them, from the
light of his lantern, was about middle
aged and the other was much younger.
The younger of the two wanted to put
the night watchman "out of the way
suggesting twice that he be killed, but
the older objected and saved his life.
Hogan was gagged and bindfolded,
however, and after this could only
Judge of what was going on by listen
ing TO the movements of the two men.
Hogan was allowed to sit on box
while they broke into the vault and
after they had looted it of its contents,
they pushed him into the vault and
closed the door. They told him that
had completed the job, but did not
keep their promise and he had moth
ing to do but remain there until morn
ing. His hands were not bound and as
soon as he was locked in he tore the
gags from his face, but he could not
make noise enough to be heard on the
street.
Obtain Valuable Plumber.
A satchel containing about $500
worth of sllverware and lewelry was
taken from the vault. The thieves also
found some money and iewelry in each
of the safes and in the desks, all of
which they examined. Papers which
were found in the different places had
all been examined in apparently a most
leisurely and thorough manner and
nothing that would be of value to the
burglars was left.
The combination of the Office safe
was broken with sledge hammers which
the men had stolen from a nearby
blacksmith shop, and the safe opened
by means Of drilling into the workings
of the lock. The vault and the office
safe were thus opened in a manner that
showed skill, and without the aid of
dynamite.
The big safe on the second floor, in
the private Offices of the president and
directors of the company, was too
much for the sledge hammer and drills,
but the burglars were not to be out
done, and mixing dynamite with soap
in the most approved yeggman style.
they proceeded to crack the safe. They
placed a cushion against the door of
the safe and then pushed a heavy
couch against this, which deadened the
sound almost completely.
The big plate glass which is only a
few feet from the safe was not broken
by the explosion. There was no Sign
or scratch on any Of the furniture to
indicate the least disturbance and but
for the cracked safe and the small
amount of dynamite that was left over
there was nothing to indicate an ex-
plosion had taken place.
Robbery Is Discovered
A clerk entered the store about 1850
'clock Saturday morning and saw at
once, that something was wrong. Going
Frantz, who made search OF the en-
tire place. He saw Hogan g keys with
which the robbers had let themselves
out at the front door, and little later
found Hoggan's revolver, which he had
dropped when he fell down the stairs.
The officer soon found Hogan in the
vault The watchman heard the Of
ficer and the clerk enter the base
ment and began kicking at the door to
attract their attention. They liberated
the prisoner and found him in
strained and tense condition, as though
he had suffered great agony. He has
back at his work in few days
John Hogan is so years of age He
has been watchman for this building
and others in the immediate neighbor,
hood for more than four years, and
he has always been regarded as an eff.
ficient man. He said that he made his
rounds as usual and found everything
all right when he first entered the
building. When he found the window
on the mezzanine floor open he was sus.
picious and closed it and then turning
to look for the intruders, he heard a
slight noise which told him there were
two of the men in the place. He had
his lantern and caught swift glances of
the two men as they first appeared be.
fore him, but was unable to give an ac-
eurate description Of either of them.
The police authorities began work on
the case Immediately and some men
were arrested on suspicion early in the
forenoon. The officers sent the Hirey-
hound" after Mr. Hogan before ne
had reached his home yesterday morn
ing and took him to the city jail to try
TO Identify some men whom they had
taken into custody. The watchman was
still in u confused state OF mind and
was noecertain Of his Identification