Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-12-22
Daring Burglars Loot
Store of Samuel
Kaplan.
LUG STRONG Box
INTO BACK YARD
Garry 1t Through Room
Where Mrs. Rachel
Kaplan Lay.
GET WATCHES, ALSO
SEVERAL DIAMONDS

Supposed expert safe crackers took
great risk in carrying a 4O0-pound
safe from the store of Samuel Kaplan,
of 1S5 sPrince street, to the back yard,
completely demolishing it and making
away with $3.50 In cash, gents gold
watch and chain with a diamond
loclket, lady's gold watch, bracelet and
diamond locket. Much trouble was ex-
perienced by the robbers, for the safe.
lifted over a counter, carried up four
steps and then carried through a wind
ing hallway into the centre of the
yard in the rear of the store.
Not to be disturbed in their work il
Is believed that chloroform was used
on the aged mother of Kaplan, who
was sleeping In a rear room While
Kaplan does not live at the address his
mother uses rear room as sort OF
bedroom and kitchen. She was still
asleep when her son opened the store,
and he had considerable difficulty in
arousing her. Her condition was con-
sidered grave by the son, and physi-
clan was summoned
1t Is declared she is still feeling the
effects of some drug. The aged woman
says she thought that she heard a noise
early today and listening for a while
was content that all was well. She.
too, was awakened by the barking dogs
but did not pay much attention, as this
is nightly affair.
Today when Kaplan entered his
store he found all in apparent order
till he went TO open his safe. 1t had
disappeared, and he believed himself
asleep. He went to the rear of the
store. and found the back door open
and in the centre of the yard the safe,
with the front door off and the cement
used as a lining scattered about The
police OF the Fourth precinct were
quickly notified.
That the work was most daring can
readily be seen for the men-there
must have been several-were COM
PEELED to carry the heavy treasure box
a great distance. 1t was impossible
for them to shove the safe along the
store, as a narrow counter nailed to
the floor prevented this. The windows
in front of the store are in no way
covered, and any passerby could look
In and see the entire store
When the safe was lifted across the
counter it was easy for the men to
push it to the rear Here a four-step
lift to the rear room again demanded
that they exert their strength. When
in the rear, or storeroom, it was easy
to get to the side door, but another
counter nailed to the floor impeded
the easy pushing Of the safe out into
the winding hallway.
In the yard, which is surrounded on
all sides by tenement houses, the rob-
bers worked in apparent ease. The
handle of the safe was knocked Off as
were the hinges Then the door was
jimmied and the cement lining knocked
off with some blunt instrument Sew
eral neighbors today declared that
dogs were barking but no attention
was paid to them.
The robbers gained entrance to the
store by forcing q side window and then
unlatching the rear door from the in
side. A year ago the safe of D. Dob
bin, who lives directly across the street
from the leather finding store of Kap-
Ian, had his safe carried into the yard
and looted in a similar manner. The
police in their investigation assert that
the work was done by expert safe
crackers, who were very familiar with
all the approaches Of the store. No
clue was left
A rather peculiar incident is the rob-
berry last night of another Samuel
IIaplan, of 553 South Twelfth street
The men are not related, but thieves
got into the latter's home and made
away with carpenters tools valued at
S12 The men gained entrance into the
apartment with the aid of keys