Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-10
SAFE BROKEN OPEN
Burglars Get $3.50 in Cash at
Laundry.
USE A RATCHET ON KNOB
Thieves Who Enter Ship Chandler
Store Remain Long Enough to
Enjoy a Meal.

Burglars who visited two business
places since Saturday night wrecked and
robbed the safe in one instance, but failed
to crack the safe at the second place.
The successful robbery was in the Elite
Laundry. 2117 and 2119 18th street north
west. where a small iron safe was broken
open and robbed Of about $3.50 in cash.
In the ship chandler store of Joseph III.
Lee, 1905 + street northwest. the safe
was partly ruined, but was not opened.
Property valued at less than s. was taken
from the store. The safe contained only
| about SO
Inspector Boardman. chief of detectives,
said he thinks the robberies were COM
mitted by different persons and that
neither was by professionals. The sare
in the office at the laundry is a small
one and the robbers probably found II
an easy matter to knock the knob from
the lock with a Ratchet The Ratchet
was found on the floor near the safe this
morning.
There was nothing about the laundry
building to indicate how the burglars
gained access, unless it was by going
through a stable and climbing from the
stable roof through an upper window
This morning when the office was
opened the robbery was discovered.
Have No Clue.
It is not known when the robbery was
committed. The Office was closed Satur-
day night after the last driver had re-
turned his collections and the money
had been put in the safe. None of the
laundry employees was in the office yes
terday. Detectives have no clue to the
identity of the robbers.
At Mr.. Lees store the robbers re-
manned long enough to get something
to eat Having battered and broken the
safe without succeeding in opening 1T.
the intruderS took two boxes Of ported
ham. supply of cake and two bottles
of strawberry soda from the store to
the back room.
Mr.. Lee told the police he had been
in business at the K street address for
more than thirty years. He thought
robbers had visited his store about ten
times during all these years, stealing
property worth less than $50.
Entrance was gained by forcing open
the shutters of a side window. An iron
pinch bar. such as is used in ice plants
and a chisel were found in the store.
The combination of the lock was broken
and hole made where the burglars
thought they would reach the bolts, but
the lock would not yield.
Break into Grocery Store.
Samuel Brinkleys grocery store at 923
4th street southeast was burglarized be-
tween II O'Clock Saturday night and 8
o'clock yesterday morning. The lock on
the front door was forced, but the bur-
glar secured only. a Canadian quarter and
twenty cents in change from the cash
drawer. The robber carried away the
lock of the door.
William Franklin. los D street north
east. lost his Sunday dinner Saturday
night when a thief appropriated all OF
the contents of the refrigerator on the
back porch at his home.
Mrs. Cora Muse. 1913 9th street south
east. reported to the police that she had
been robbed of jewelry and other prop
erty valued at about SITS. The theft was
committed in her home, she stated, dur
ing the last two weeks. Detectives
Evans and ODea made an investigation
and expect to make an arrest tomorrow