The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-18
ROBBERY MYSTERY
NOT YET CLEARED
Police Have No Clue to Men
Who Looted Simon
Pawnshop.
JOB IS cLEvERLY DONE
Seems Certain That Thieves Had
Inside Information as
to Wiring.
JOB is cLEvERLY D
Especial to The Timcs-Dispatch. ]


New York, March 1.-THE men who
pcrpetrated the 100000 robbery In
the pawnshop Of Martin Simon &; Son.
No. 81 Hester Street. Sunday morning,
must have possessed definite knowl-
edge OF the electric wiring by which
glar proof. This is the belief ex-
pressed by Deputy Police Commission
err DouRherty tonight.
The police are making a minute in
vcstiSation OF all who had access to
the pawn brokerage shop. and thus
became cogniZant OF the manner in
which the establishment was protected
against burglars. Both Martin Simon
and his son. Max, agree with the 20.
lice that the intruders must have
known In advance how to avoid set
ting off an alarm which would have
brought the special patrolmcn OF the
burglar alarm company TO the scene.
The men who committed this
deed" young Simon said. used much
Skill in passing the electric wiring to
the walls, first in the basement and
then up in the shop. This means that
they knew how the wires were laid.
Then they drilled into the safe in such
/ n way that they just passed the wires
that protected it, our concern was
n family business None but relatives
worked In the place. The few others
who came In. 1t seems TO me, must
have been exceptionally keen to have
learned all they did without our be-
| coming suspicious.
| Our loss il at least so50,000. At
| present | cannot say positively what
/ the figure Is for it will take several
! days for experts we have engaged to
Z get up an inventory OF the stock left
{ and OF what was stolen. II seems that
/ tho very partitions in which the money
/ and most valuable diamonds were kept
/ were known to the burglars. They went
straight to this section of the vault,
/ ignoring the section In which watches
F, and more bulky valuables were stored.
Our loss, though heavy. and such
l that ii means are ruined and must
forever close our business, is nothing
compared to that of our customers.
All the articles pledged were worth
more than the money we gave for
them. And beside this, we had much
property from other pawnbrokers.
brought to us for safekeeping We
have offered $4,000 reward for the
arrest and conviction of the guilty
parties"
Throughout the East Side the rob
berry was received as a most severe
blow to hundreds of families. scores
of men and women gathered around
The closed shop. some waving tickets.
shouting threats against the Simonses
and demanding to know when thoy
could learn IL their particular property
serves protected the dingy looking
place.
Three days" they continued to shout
at the crowd. their meaning being that
In that time something could possibly
be told 10 them,
1t was said at the Holmes Protective
Association Offices that tho wiring OF
this place is similar To that OF score.
OF other concerns. and that only a few
months ago Mr.. Simons was tool that
the building of cabinet about hi.
vault would render the place doubly
safe. He refused. however, to nave tn,
extra work done. depending upon tn,
existing wires and the knowledge tina
none but those with inside Inrorma
ton" could pass them without setting
| off the alarms.
woman who lives over the pawn
shop has given the police description
OF two men she saw drive up TO tn.
shop with 4 peddlcr's wagon yesterda,
forenoon and drive away again will
several packages taken from the eel
+ lar The actions Of The men did no
seem In any way suspicious at tn,
time, and they made no effort a,
, hurry or concealmcnt.