Smyrna times., 1911-12-06
MILTON BARELY ESCAPES
FIRE DURING The ROBBERY
CITIZENS AWAKE TO THE FACT
WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED

VITA Ml0t1 EINNG ElNF- 7 -tNGO
Postoffice Robbers Used Nitro-GlYc-
erin and Why Stove Escaped Being
Knocked Over is Mystery.
Millions S escape from q fire that
would probably have been disastrous
was a most fortunate incident of the
recent postoffice safe robbery in that
town; therefore the residents had
something to be thankful for, not
withstandng the fact that the post
office had been looted of $89O.96
in money and stamps. This hit of
satisfaction was brought to light
during thorough investigation of
the robbery by Postoffice Inspector
Plummer. Mr.. Plummer said it was
true that the town had had FORUM
ate escape from fire. A stove was
in the centre of the room occupied
by the postoffice, only about FIVE
feet from the safe, and on the night
of the robbery there was a fire in
the stove, which the thieves had
evidently started burning at lively
clip to keep them warm, for the
next morning there were evidences
of hot fire.
Fragments of Safe Buried in Walls
In hunting about the room
for evidence of the crime, In
spector Plummer found fragments of
the safe, which had been blown to
pieces by nitro-glycerin, in different
sections of the room, some embedded
in the ceiling and some in the walls,
while there were pieces scattered
about the floor, and the indentations
that had been made in the walls and
ceiling indicated the terrific force
of the explosion used. 1t was found
in this examination that not a single
piece had struck the stove, all of
the fragments having passed it, one
way or another. Inspector Plummer
said that if one of the pieces of safe
had struck the stove the latter
would undoubtedly have been knocked
over, and this would have set fire
to the building. As the postoffice is
a frame structure, the fire would
snon have gotten a good starte, and
as it is in built-up section of that
town, there is everyreaon to believe
that the blaze would have spread
considerably before it was discov-
cred, in view of the fact that the
safe was blow at about 80 O'Clock
in the morning, when nearly every
body in that tOHs. was asleep, and
-SAat nobody was aroused by the ex-
plosion. How the stove escaped is
a mystery. Soap which had been
used lavishly in the crevices in the
safe and about the room, to facili.
tate the safe blowing and to keeI
the noise from getting outside the
building, was found all over the
place, that from the safe having
been blown all over the walls, cell
ing and floor. Nearly everything il
the place was wrecked with the ex
ception of the stove.
Inventory Taken of the Damage Don
An inventory Of valuables stole
showed: Money order cash take
from the asfe, SIG. SO; postal funds
S76; stamps, postal cards, etc.
S697 ;.97. In searching the debris i
the safe Inspector Plummer foCn
S1S. 80 which was imbedded in tn
filling material used between tn
plates, and which had either bee
overlooked by the thieves or pun
posely left, as most of it was badl
mutilated by the explosive used
blowing the safe. Postmaster Blac
had S140 in money order funds +;
his home, which, of course, tt
thieves knew n"thing about and d
not get as they did not attack Il
house. While the burglars took a
of the stamps in the place, businel
was resumed in the wrecked bull
ing as soon as the postmaster cou
borrow a sufficient number of STAN
from the postmater at Ellendal
A new supply of stamps had be,
received from the government a
business is going on in the Milt
postoffice as if nothing unusual h
happened. The authorities are
the track If some suspects, but
arrest be made until they ha
more evidence than they have be
able to find up to this time. Pc
Office inspector Plummer is hard
work on the case, and he has
assistance of the railroad and lot
officers all over the Peninsula.