The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-15
SAFE BLOWER AT
 FEES LIQUOR CO. Make Sensational Escape
 With Officers on Scene NO CASH SECURED Man Apparently Escaped Down Rope
 From Second Story-Kit of Tools Left on the Scene

Safe blowers yesterday morning at 3 o'clock blew open the safe of the Fies Liquor company, wrecking the outer doors and smashing up the office fix tures The noise of the explosion pre- vented the burglar or burglars from obtaining any of the money or val uables in the safe, as officers appeared upon the scene almost immediately.
 The safe blower left without taking time to gather up his tools and even left a pair of shoes and hat. He escaped through an upstairs window facing Second avenue by means of an elevator rope. Despite the fact that in his descent his foot swung against the window just below the one he es- capped from and broke the glass, caus- ing considerable noise, the burglar got away with two patrolmen only a few paces away.
 Immediately after the patrolman on the beat heard the noise of the ex- plosion and ascertained the cause he phoned central headquarters and Capt D. E. Devine and three more patrol men appeared upon the scene.
 They found that 1t would be i'm possible to effect an entrance to the building through the doors or windows and Captain Devine stationed his men at intervals to watch the windows | while he went to the Palace Livery stables to phone the owners to bring down a key. And, despite the fact that the burglar was in the building, hay- ing not yet effected his escape, Cap tain Devine and his men waited for | 10 a ri wal of ha | key, that they might walk into the | building through its accustomed en- | trance.
 Made Escape During Wait | It was during this wait that the safe blower made good his escape. Cap tain Devine had stationed two men at the corner of Seventeenth street and Second avenue, one man to watch the side of the building facing on Second avenue, and the other that on Seven teenth street. while officer Kicks was stationed al the most dangerous posi- ton, in the back of the building Cap tain Devine was in. the alley at the back of the Orpheum theatre
 The officers were waiting patiently when, about 3;45, a sound of falling glass was heard and, with the excep- tion of Officer Kicks, all ran out on Second avenue from whence the sound came. When they got there they saw a rope dangling from the upstairs win dow and broken glass on the side walk The man had slipped down the rope. breaking the bottom window with sis foot and disappeared off of the avenue while the patrolmen were a the corner of the building. At the time both officers declared that no one had come out of the window
 Realizing that the key would be some time in getting there, Captain Deyine ID DEalr. a,,I effect an entrance through the top of the building. thorough search was made, but no one was discovered. Any credit due the patrolmen on the scene fell to these officers, who dropped down through the skylight and made a search through the building with their flashlights.
 The doors were then. opened from the inside and another search was made. | ut by that time the safe blower was probably enjoying a substantial break fast some few miles from the scene.
 Kit of Tools Found
 An entire kit of safe blowers tools was found. all new, and bought in Birmingham. A pair of No Walk Over" shoes was also found The safe doors were a complete wreck, the safe blower, who must have been inevpar fenced, having put in enough nitro- glycerine to blow the building up. He had bored a hole in a fine wood desk and put in setback" between the safe door and this desk of inch and quarter draught rope. The force of the explosion tore the desk to splin- ters. '
 The case, was turned over to City Detectives Cole and Goldstein, and they stated last night that the safe blower would be under arrest by noon today
 Amos Fies. who appeared on the scene about 4;15, said that previous attempt had been made to enter the store, but had been frustrated. He had no suspicion of who the safe blower might be, but said that his trouble would have been taken for nothing there was very little cash in the safe,