The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-12-12
$4,000 in FURS
STOLEN FROM STORE
Accepted Theory Is That out-of-
Town Professionals, Who Chose
Only the Costly Skins, Made
Rapid Getaway in an
Automobile.
RICHMOND, VA.-Specsal.

II Y II III u n -, tA.-SpecSai.
The establishment OF Charles
Haase Il Sons, furriers, occupying
the entire building, three floors
and basement, at 1I0 West Broad
Street, was robbed, presumably
Sunday night, Of furs and skins of
various description, worth $4,000.
The robbery, which was COM
United, it is believed, by profess
SIGNALS, Is one of the largest I'm
this city I'm recent years.
Entrance was Effected by the
thieves-there are believed 20
have been two or mOre-through
a third-story rean window, which
was reached by way of a fire
escape. To reach the fire escape
IL was necessary for the thieves to
practically scale the building to
the second floor, where access TO
the escape was gained.
The window, through which in
gress was had, was pried open
by means of what is known i'm
police parlance as a Jimmy"
The robbers confined their ope-
rations almost exclusively to the
first, or street, floor, where the
bulk of their booty was secured.
The furs and skins taken were
picked with discriminating hand.
Only the more valuable pieces
were taken, articles of lesser
value being cast aside. Some OF
the articles taken represented a
monetary value i'm themselves of
5000, two handsome cOats--a
Hudson seal coat, with ermine coll
lar and cuffs, worth 500, and a
mink coat, valued at $6OO-being
among these.
The stolen stun comprised
chiefly mink and mole, all the
mink, with the exception OF one
piece, on the first floor, being
among the missing articles. Much
was overlooked i'm the semi-darIx-
ness and evident haste with which
the robbers worked.
NO STORED FURS TAKEN.
Announcement that no stored
goods was stolen will be received
with relief by many ladies of
Richmond who have valuable furs
I'm storage with Haase.
Some repair work was APP
parently purposely passed by, as
was some unfinished work, al
though many skins, principally
seal, were taken.
The bulk of the stolen stuff was
on display in wall and floor cases,
where IL is customary &C keep
IL on display and. at the same
time, from dust The thieves were
obviously after new goods and the
best OF this. Two coats, one val
ned ut $500 and another worth
$500, which were stored, among
other pieces, on the third floor,
were not bothered. Much mink
on the third floor was overlooked.
Suspended upon hangers almost
touching the ceiling, it was not
observed by the thieves.
Nothing I'm either of the front
windows was taken, although
goods worth several thousand dol
lars was on display.
The establishment was closed
Saturday night between 10 and
1880 O'Clock.
When the doors were opened at
the customary hour this morning
81 o'cl0ck--the scene that met
the gaze of employees was one OF
havoc.
Costly furs were strewn about
the floor. Cases were flung wide
open and scattered about the
floors were innumerable hangers.
on which a few hours before were
some OF the costlicSt furs and
skins IL Is possible to buy.
December being one of the bus
lest months i'm the year with fur
rterS, the stock carried by Haase
was unusually large, much OF the
stolen stun having been purchased
lately for the holidays. Despite
the fact that the stock has been
entirely depleted OF a number OF
particular skins, Mr.. HaaSe stated
this morning that orders were
being filled for duplicates to take
the place of that stolen. and that
tho firms customers would suffer
no embarrassment. Incidentally.
the stock is pretty well covered by
insurance and Mr.. Haase has no
worry on this score.
MIR. Haase believes his unweI-
come visitors either overlooked or
dropped in their flight thirty
worth $15 apiece. These were
found in heap in the rear OF
the first floor.
EXIT by BACK DOOR.
After selecting what they want
ed the burglars unlocked a back
door, passed through it, and,
locking IL on the outside, took
the key with them. The key was
left I'm the door on the inside
when the store was closed Satur-
day night. This morning it was
missing.
1t Is believed that the thieves
carried their booty off in an au-
tomobtle. Mr.. HaaSe said today
1t would have been impossible for
two, or even three, men TO carry
away, without a commodious con-
veyance, what was missing this
morning, without arousing suspi-
cion.
The police incline to the belief
that whoever committed the rob-
berry are even now out of the
city, If not clear of the State.
MIR. HaaSe says two or three large
trunks would be necessary in
which TO conceal the stolen stuff.
In their flight the thieves left
behind them a pocket fiaShlight,
which was seized upon by the po-
lice as possible cIew. The en-
tire detective force has been de-
tailed on the case. If the detec-
tiVes have "a clev they are keeping
It to themselves.
LIST OF STOLEN GOODS.
The following list of goods
stolen has been prepared by Mr..
Faase and furnished TO the police:
One mink coat. with tail trim