Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-17
GLOVES GIVE CLUE
TO $25O,0OO LOOT
Worn by New York Cracksmen
Who TunneIed Way Into
PaWnshop Vault.
SCORNED GOLD WATCHES
AND NEGOTIABLE PAPER
Burglar Alarms Avoided by Saving
Through Floor and Entering
Vault From Side.

NEW YORK. March 1I.--F'ifty de-
tectives We're at work today trying to
run down the cracksmen who robbed
Martin Simons & Sons pawnslop on the
East Side some time yesterday Of over
$4,000 worth of jewelry-one of the most
daring and successful robberies committed
in this city within the memory Of the
present generation of policemen.
It comes as climax to series OF
safe-blowing robberies which for more
than nine months has engaged the atten-
tion of a special safe squad of de-
tectivss organized by Deputy Police Com
missioner Dougherty. Since January =
more than twenty safes have been
cracked and robbed in the lower East
Side section, where yesterdays big haul
was made.
Woman Witnesses. Flight.
The cracksmen were seen in flight with
their booty by woman, the police an
nounced today. This woman, whose name
the police withhold, lives in the five-story
tenement adjoining the pawnshop. She
told the detectives that she was coming
downstairs about 10 o'clock yesterday
morning when strange man came up
from the cellar Of the tenement. He car
She followed him to the street and saw
another man drive up In a light wagon.
Into the wagon the first man placed the
lamp. He then went back to the cellar
another lamp and parcel done UP In
manila paper. He placed these in the
wagon and both men drove away.
The police are certain that these are the
men who chiseled through the walls OF
the Tremont's foundation to the cellar
of the pawnshop. The brown paper par
eel. they believe, contained the fortune In
gems taken from the safe. From the
woman they obtained good descriptions of
the two men. Later they took her to
the rogues' gallery to identity the men, il
possible. from the pictures OF criminals
on file there.
Cracksmen Wore Gloves.
The police believe the robbers are the
same as those connected with many pre-
vious burglaries, and in one instance they
have a clue to this effect. When Her.
man Shapiro's pawnshop on the Bowery
was robbed of $1,000 by cracksmen last
Thursday night the robbers left behind
them pair, of cotton gloves which they
had used to avoid finger prints. The
robbers of the Simons shop left behind
two pairs of gloves like those.
The care with which. the burglars cut
their way by devious route from an ad-
Joining cellar 10 the 6llnOnS DuilOln8 con-
-vfnces the detectives they were very
familiar with the premises.
Avoided Burglar Alarms.
The men had carefully avoided using
the basement stairway. which was open
to them, but had sawed their route
through two floors, apparently knowing
that the stairway was wired with burglar
alarms In like manner, 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 contained valuables
worth O0,OOO, according to Simons 1910,
600 In jewelry and watches upon which
money had been loaned. 100000 in nego-
table securities and 10000 in notes, as
well as $1,000 in, cash and checks. The
thieves took the bonds and notes, but
threw them away in the basement before
took nothing but diamonds and light
iewelry contained in twenty-fOur drawers
Watches and other jewelry OF less
value packed away in 26O small drawers
though all the drawers had been pulled
from their places and the jewelry and
watches dropped on the floor until they
were a foot deep.
Well Equipped for Job.
The burglars were we'll prepared fcr
their task In the pawnshop they left
all the paraphernalis they had used in
preaching the wall. cutting through the
floor and hammering their way through
the brick and masonry of the vault These
instruments were: Three large saws. one
small saw. one twelve-pound sledge ham,
mer one three-pound siedge hammer and
a brace and bit.
The police of the opinion that six
cracksmen We're employed on the job and
that the tunneling required all OF Satur
day night and the greater part OF Sun
day morning. 1t is their belief that the
actual robbery took place yesterday fore
noon, while hundreds of persons were
passing along the street in front Of the
pawnshop. None OF the tenants in either
the building from which the tunnel started
or that in which the pawnshop Is located
heard any unusual noises. A janitress
peering through the window Of the shop
late yesterday afternoon noticed the lit
ter near the vault and gave the alarm.