The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-17
More Than $3.50, in
Diamonds and Jew
elry Taken.
GREAT SAFE EASY
FOR CRACKSMEN
Thieves Make Clean Getaway
With Plunder, Leaving Police
at Sea-Storc and It's Valu-
ables Are Reached Through
Tunnel From Adjoin-
ing Building.

Now FORK, March l6.--AD East Side
burglary, perpetrated by clever cracks Il
mon some time to-day. netted the
thieves the largest haul obtained In
New York City in many years. Mar
tin Simons & Sons, pawnbrokers, In
Hester Street were the victims, and
tho property stolen includes s250,oo0
worth OF iewelry, diamonds and other
precious stones and 100000 worth of
negotiable securities
The thieves Hnined access to the
pawnbrokcrs. richly stored vaults by
means OF q tunnel from an abuttineag
building on n neiGhboring street They
maze clean getaway with their valu-N
able loot
Ihc police arc of the opinion that six
craftsmen were employed on the Job,
and that the tunneling required All of
last night and the greater part OF
Sunday morning. 1t is their belief that
the actual robbery took place this az
ternoon. while hundreds OF persons
were passing along the street in front
or the pawnshop None of the ten
ants in either the building from which
the tunnel startod or that in which
the pawnshop is located heard any un-
usual noises
Discovery Is Made.
~ Janitress peering through the win
dow OF the shop late this afternoon no
ticed the litter near the vault and gave
the alarm. The police found that the
tunnel was begun in tho collar of a
house i'll E'dridge Street directly adj
Joining Simonss place. 1t was driven
through the wall Of the Eldridge
street mousse and into coal bin In
tho cellar of the Simons' store.
IncIoSed I'm Great Safe.
In the southwest corner of the build
ing Is safe vanlt twelve feet high
twelve feet long and twelve feet wide
The walls arc brick, twenty-four
inches thick. Railroad rails close to-
gether cover the top of the vault In
side. inside. wood and steel finished
the construction. while great chilled
doors protected tho front. In addi-
ton. tho place was protected by an
electric burglar alarm
The part OF the cellar used by the
tenement is separated from the pawn
shop cellar by partition wall pro-
tected by wires. The men, after en-
tering this basement climbed into
coal bin and scraped away the coal un-
Il they were three inches under the
wires, and then made n hole that adj
mitted a small man or boy or perhaps
two Of them.
This placed them in the nawnshon
cellar. n flight OF stairs from the cell
lar to the pawnshop above was ignored.
because it is wired. By standing on
things In the cellar the men cut a hole
about fourteen inches square in the
moor or the pawnshop. and were then
In the store. a ladder gave them ac-
cess to the top of tho vault
The last girder of railroad iron sup
porting the roof OF the vault is almost
n foot from tho wall itself The two
feet or mortar and brick were gone
through with ease. and the Eirder
moved aside. In the southeast corner
OF tho vault n hole was made, evidently
after several hours of hard, silent
work This aperture is nearly two feet
square. Tho inner part of the vault
was cut away. and the strong box,
hlled with jewels. bonds and cash, wall
ued at more than 100000 was omen
to them. In it. with gas light 70 see
what thoy were doing, tho man or
men selected to make the entrance
We're at liberty to work at leisure.
Rich In Contents.
The vault contained $4,000 in cash.
$4,000 in checks. s1s0.o0O in negotiable
bonds and S60,o00 in notes. The rest
OF the wealth was in pledges. In the
safe there were 366 drawers three
strong boxes and twenty-six compart-
ments. Twentyfour drawers that con-
tanned diamonds and watches were
opened and their contents taken.
The thieves evidently decided to SEQ
what they were getting, because the
packages were ripped open for a while
and the wrapping paper and boxes
thrown on to the vault floor. Then
oite SlroIS DoA WAS ripped open, In
this box were diamonds valued mt
| $4,000 Why they were not taken is
a mystery, unless IL was that by that
time tho men We're so laden with stuff
that they feared they might be unable
to escape.
a $500 pearl necklace and a neck
lace OF diamonds and pearls valued at
$4,000 were left behind. but a diamond
and pearl necklace. valued at $4,000.
and diamonds to the value of $4,000.
the property OF Mrs. Philip RosenthaL
We're taken. Mrs. Rosenthal is a rel
ative OF Mr.. Sinons.
With loot enough to fill busheI
basket, the men climbed out of the
vault and made their exit the Same
way as they entered 1t is presumed
they did the work some time before
daylight to-day.
Later. $4,000 OF the negotiable Sc
curities were found scattered on tho
floor of the vault, but about sS50,o00
others We're missing, the robbers evil
IDENTIFY having been afraid to take +
them, owing TO the risk OF detection
In their disposal.
l.ooters Up to Dnte.
Another thing that seemed to point
to the up date business acumen OF
the looters was that they left behind
them IN the litter about the vault
three pairs OF gloves. Tile police are
OF the opinion that the crncksmen.
wore gloves in robblng the vault rea-
ltzing the extent to which the finger
print bureau or the polite department.
Is capable OF going lnto detecting
crooks vino leave impr essions OF their :
fingers at the scenes OF their crimes
When Simons and his son reached
the pawnshop and made a hasty In
ventory they declared the loot taken
easily was worth s250.0o0. and fhahS