The Topeka state journal., 1913-03-17
THIEVES ROB SAFE
Haul of $3OO,OOO Made From
New York PawnshOp.
Daring Robbers Tunnel Their
Way Into Building.
CASH IN AMOUNT OF $4,000
Clever Work Shown in Avoid
ing Burglar Alarms.
Woman Gives Police Descrip-
tiOn of Burglars.

New York, March 1.-THE cracksmen
who tunneled their way through w
brick and concrete walls, avoiding
network of burglar alarm wires, and
stole $780, 900 worth of diamonds from
the safe of the Martin Sinons & Sons
pawnshop, on the lower east side, were
seen in flight with their booty by
woman. the police announced today.
This woman, whose name the police
withhold, lives in the five-story tene-
ment adjoining the pawnshop. She told
the detectives that she was coming
down stairs about 10 o'clock yesterday
morning when a strange man came up
from the cellar of the tenement He
carried an acetyline lamp on his shouI-
der. She followed him to the street
and saw another man drive up in a l1ghr
wagon. Into the wagon the first man
placed the lamp. They then went pack
to the cellar and returned in few
moments with another lamp and par
eel done up in manila paper. He placed
these in the wagon and both men drove
away.
The police are certain hat these are
the men who chiseled through the wall
cellar of the pawnshop. The brown pa
per parcel, they believe, contained the
fortune in gems taken from the safe
From the woman they obtained GOOD
descriptions Later they took her TO
the rogue's gallery to identify the men,
if possible, from the pictures OF crlm-
inals on file there.
Fifty detectives are at work on the
case 1t was one of the most daring
and successful robberies committed In
this city within the memory of the
present genera ton of policemen
Series of Robberies.
It comes as a climax to series of
Swallowing robberies which for more
than nine months has engaged the
attention of a special "safe squad of
detectives organized by Deputy Police
Commissioner Dougherty. Since jan
uary 49, more than 20 safes have been
cracked and robbed in the lower East
side section, where yesterdays DIG
haul was made. The police believe
that the robbers are the same as those
connected with many of the previous
burglarieS and in one instance they
have a c1ew to this effect. When Her
man Shapiro's pawnshop on the BOW
ery was robbed of $4,000 by cracks
men last Thursday night, the robbers
left behind pair of cotton gloves
which they had used to avoid finger
prints.
Left Gloves Behind.
The robbers of the Simons shop
left behind them two pairs of gloves
is the only one the detectives are
known to have. The care with which
the burglars cut their way by a de-
vious route from an adjoining cellar to
the Simons building, convinces the de-
tectives they were familiar with the
premises They had carefully avoid
ed using the basement stairway, which
was open to them, but had sawed
their way through two floors, appar-
emily knowing the stairway was wired
with burglar alarms In like man
ner when they reached the big vault
in the pawnshop, they did not touch
the great steel doors or their locks,
but attacked the walls-two feet
thick.
They were rewarded by access to
such riches that the robbers must
have been stunned. The vault con-
tained valuables worth 100000, ac-
cording to Simons, 100000 in jew
elry and watches upon which money
had been loaned, $130,000 in negoti-
able securities and 100000 in notes,
as we'll as $4,000 in cash and checks
The thieves took the bonds and notes,
but threw them away in the basement
before leaving the building. In the
vault they took nothing but diamonds
and light jewelry contained in "a
drawers. Watches and other jewelry
of less value, packed in 260 small
drawers, were not taken, although all
the drawers had been pulled from
their places and the jewelry and
watches dropped on the floor until
thew were a foot deep.