The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-18
Sound-sleeping Citizens Not
Awakened by Robbers,
Who Gained Entrance by
a Back Door.
FEW PETTY ROBBERS
Were Committed by Cracks
men Probably Before They
Entered the Post Office
No Clues Found.
palladium Specially

Centerville, Ind. Feb. 1S.-Cracks.
men blew the post office safe here
about , o'clock this morning. securing
between $500 and $500 in stamps of
different denominations, and change
amounting to about SIS. Only the
slightest clues were left by the rob-
bers who escaped in horse and bug
gy, stolen from Horace Commons. but
which was abandoned south of Center
vile. The horse wandered back to
town. Entrance to the post office
was gained by forcing open side
door to the general store which con-
meets the office. Postmaster Thomas
Dunbar who discovered the robbery
when he opened up at o'clock had a
severe nervous shock.
Sheriff Albert Steen and Superin-
tendent of Police. |. A. Gormon were
| on the scene this morning and work
| ing on the home talent theory. Sew
eral, not all of. whom live in the I'M
| mediate vicinity of Centeryille are
suspicioned and few have been ex-
amined but as yet nothing has been
| learned which warrants an arrest 1t
| is thought the robbery was committed
| by members OF the same gang which
| tapped the safe of the Farmers and
| Citizens bank at Milton. The work
of the yeggmen in both instances was
| similar a peculiar coincidence is
| that the job here was perpetuated
just two months to the day after the
| Milton robbery.
No Loud Explosion.
| The explosion, while OF sufficient
! force to open the safe was not a loud
one. Only two people were awakened
and they went back to sleep soon al.
terwards, giving the matter little con-
sideration, perhaps because both are
IL.
| Several petty robberies were pulled
off before the attempt on the post
office safe was made: Horse blankets
We're stolen from several. Some were
taken from the Commons barn: one
from DIR. Fouts; an overcoat from OF
to Hurst; several tools were taken
| from Harry Hart. blacksmith. All
of these served the robbers in their
work OF tapping the safe. The blan-
kets were soaked in water and wrap
ped about the safe after the crevice
between the safe door and the door
casing was soaped and filled with
nitroglycerine.
/ The fuse was set off by tapping the
trolley wire which runs past the build
| ing. This was the method employed
| in cracking the safe OF the Milton
bank
| Nothing but the contents Of tho
safe was sought evidently, as the rob-
bers passed up the cash and stamps,
probably amounting to $23 or more,
in the post office cash drawer. and an
equally large sum Of cash in the cash
drawers and register OF the general
| store.
:. Dunbar is Shocked.
When Postmaster Dunbar opened
| I'D the store he was overcome when
he saw lying on the floor the safe
door which had been broken and torn
apart by the explosion. Underneath
the door were the blankets and other
coverings About the floor were small
bits of the plaster lining Of the safe
| which served to make ii fire proof.
The safe itself was standing near the
! wall. and not out of position. II is a
small Mos:er and similar to those fire.
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