Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-24
SAFE NEAR
ALEOPARD'S CAGE
Roars of Beasts Drown Explo-
sion When Strong Box Is
Wrecked in Theatre.
THIEVES FLEE WITH $500
Burglars Also Enter Meat Market and
Use Auto Battery to Aid In
the Work.

Chicago, March 24-Two or three
burglars possessing the courage of the
biblical hero Daniel broke into a room
where four leopards were confined and
blew a safe early yesterday morning.
While the beasts snarled and snap
ped and plunged at their bars in at
tempts to get at them, the thieves went
ahead coolly with their operations,
wrecked the strong box with nitro
glycerine and escaped with 5000 in
cash
The scene Of the robbery was the
stage Of the Apollo theatre, at 52e
East Forty-seventh street. The place
had been robbed twice before within
the last year. The leopards are the
property of Franz Arnoldo, a trainer
who was billed for this weeks perform
ance. They are unusually large beasts
and are declared by Arnoldo to be "the
most savage leopards in captivity"
RoARS DROWN EXPLOSION.
The trainer experienced difficulty
last night in putting the animals
through their stunts" They still
were excited from the happenings of
the early morning.
The burglars entered the theatre by
saving away two iron bars and break
! ing down an oak door. Then they
rolled the safe to the stage and after
taking the covers OF the cages occu-
pied by the leopards and picking up
mating and rugs they threw them
over the safe. Nitroglycerine poured
, into the safe was set off by electric
current from one of the lights.
The report Of the explosion, the force
of which blew the 5OO-pound safe al
most to pieces, was drowned by the
! roaring of the leopards. The only
clews the police obtained were a part
ly used bar of soap and a sawed-off
crowbar.
M. Bernstein, owner Of a cigar store
at 522 East Forty-seventh street, told
the police he had seen three men near
the theatre shortly after 2 o'clock. A
short time later he said he heard the
roaring Of the animals
ANOTHER SAFE BLOWN OPEN.
Brand Bros meat market, 4042 Lin
coin avenue, was the scene of another
daring safe robbery at 3 o'clock in the
morning. The robbers forced open a
basement door, then two other doors.
and wheeled the safe to a garage in
the rear. By the aid of electric cur
rent supplied from the batteries of an
auto truck, the robbers blew open the
safe and escaped with $159 and some
checks.
John F. Brand, one of the owners,
who lives above the store. heard the
explosion. He notified the police.
Two armed negroes beat and robbed
Donald Causey of 3539 Calumet ave-
nue. at East Thirty-ffth street and
South Wabash avenue One of the
robbers, who wore red sweater. took
s15 and a gold watch from their vic
tim.
MEN BEATEN AND ROBBED.
George Miller, 243S West Van Buren,
street, was beaten and robbed by four
men at West Lake street and North
Forueth avenue. Miller fought the
robbers. They beat him unconscious
and then robbed him of s. and a
watch
Killian Rueppell. 2O5S Grand ave
nue.. also was beaten and robbed of So
near his home. Two armed negroes
robbed Charles Patterson, 1911 South
State street, of $40 at Jackson boule-
ward and South LaSalle street.
Samuel Frank, owner of a restaUr-
ant at 228 South Fifth avenue, was
robbed by two pickpOckets, who crowd
ed him while they were paying for
their meals. They s2O2.