Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-16
New Westminster, B. c., In
stitution, Loses Fortune
by Work of Three I'm
known Safe Crackers.
MEN TOOK ALL THEY
COULD CARRY AWAY
Thirty-fve ThousandDolla
in Silver and Small Notes
Left; Chinese Caretaker
Roughly Handled.

New West Minister B. c., Sept. Is
Three hundred and fifteen thousand
dollars was stolen early this morning
from the branch of the bank OF
Montreal in this city.
Five burglars entered the bank by
the front door, broke through the
thin metal coating of the vault, blew
the safe by charges of nitro-glycerine
and got away with their booty without
being seen except by Chinese care
taker
They probably escaped down the
Frazier river in a launch or by auto
mobile toward Van Couver. There
wa sin all $35O,O00 in the bank safes.
Chief of Police Bradshaw believes
the men would have taken 1t all if they
could have carried it. AS 1t was, they
took all they could carry, leaving all
the silver and notes of small denom-
nations as we'll as damaged $500 and
SO bills lying around on the floor.
chinaman Gave Alarm.
Chong Koh, a Chinese caretaker
about 6 o'clock came running to the
police station, which is less than
twenty-five yards from the bank, cry
The Chinaman says he opened the
.er set foot inside than he was seized
by large man and two others came
q moment later. IF you make noise,
we will KILL" they said. Two smaller
men gagged the Chinaman with his
own handkerchief. They tied his feet
and hands and took him to the base
ment where they tied him to a post.
It was two hours later that he manag-
ed to free himself.
The Chinaman says he saw only the
three men, but he believes at least
two others were engaged in the rob-
berry. 1t Is certain that the vault had
already been blown before the China
man arrived, so that the robbers must
have got in shortly after midnight.
BY means of pick the robbers tore
away a hole through the bricks that
compose the sides Of the vault and
the same instrument was used to
break through the thin cast iron
lining of the vault. The latter was
not heavy and 1t could not have been
1aore than twenty minutes work be-
fore the burglars had got into the
vault in front of the great steel door.
Plugged Hole With Bedding.
The hole which the robbers had
made through which to crawl into the
vault they plugged with the bedding to
deaden the sound for no person has
been found who heard the explosion
A policeman during good deal Of
the time was in the next building and
not more than ten yards away and
heard nothing The police station
was not more than twice that distance
away and nothing occurred to disturb
the policemen coming and going to
the main Office.
Vast Sum in Safe.
Three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars in piles of gold and silver and
bank notes, was in view when the
robbers had blown the inner door.
The money was carried into the
sleeping room of the absent clerk and
here disposed Of Evidently the rob-
oers took the pick of all they carried.
There must have been 100000 in bills
If denominations of $500 and $1,000.
Then there were many thousands in
gold, all Of which was taken. The
silver was left. Many packages Of one,
;wo and five dollar bills were dis
lained by the robbers.
There was no trace to show how
he robbers got away. Probably they
entered by false key in the lock of
he front door and it is presumed
hey went out the same way They
lid not take the trouble to remove
he ladders which leaned against the
,ashes of the windows through which
wo Of their number evidently
the neighborhood
CHICK EVANS AND