Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-18
DAY IN DA NEWPORT

S153 In Cash Is Secured-Some time
early Sunday morning a gang of ex-
pert yeggmen broke into the F. w.
Woolworth company's five and ten
cent store, 212 West Second street,
dynamited the safe and made a sue
cessful getaway with S16S. OF the loot,
S153 was cash and SIS in checks, up
on which payment has been stopped at
the banks. The robbery was discov-
cred at 1880 yesterday morning, when
Manager w. p. Dodge opened the es-
Enlistment for business. He reported
the matter to the police and plain
clothes men we're detailed on the
case, but the cracksmen had left not
single clew. 1t is believed that the
gang left town Immediately after the
Job" had been completed. An en-
trance was effected via rear window
facing on the alley. One of the iron
bars over the window was pried loose,
after which the lock was jimmied. The
safe, small affair, is located in the
Office at the extreme northwest cor
ner of the store. The strong box is
obscured from possible view, either
at the front or the rear. The work
was that of experts. A Is inch hole
was drilled in the door. The yeggs
secured great bundles of towels from
the counters, piling them around the
safe door, and wrapping all these in
heavy canvas cloth, also found on the
counters. This material, in itself, was
sufficient to deaden all sound, but in
addition, a storm was raging early
Sunday morning about 8 o'clock. The
rain descended in sheets and there
were no pedestrians abroad. Only a
small amount of nitroglycerins was
poured into the drilled hole, which was
carefully soaped. The explosion broke
the lock bars, but did not even shatter
the door or knock it off the hinges.
A thin, steel plate door, affording &C
cess to the inner vault, was pried
loose with a metal bar. After secur-
ing the loot, members of the gang left
via the rear door, which they carefully
locked. They also closed and locked |
the rear window so as to leave no
visible indication of an entrance being
effected. The work, according to the
police, was that of veteran safe blow !
ers, and it is possible that the robbery /
was perpetrated by the same gang |
which dynamited the safe at the Morton !
ond street several weeks ago.
o.
Mueller Family Safely Home-An in
teresting story of European events |
during the days before the outbreak OF |
the present great war between Ger |
many and the allied powers and of a
successful escape from the scene of
hostilities is told by Ben Mueller. son !
Of w. l.. Mueller. who with his mother
and sister, Annina, have arrived here !
from a tour of the continent. Believ-
ing from the excitement in Paris few
days before war was declared that a
declaration of war was but matter of
hours the Mueller family, leaving their
baggage at Frankfort on the Main.
made haste to Amsterdam. They were
TO have sailed on the Vaterland, but
knowing that that ship could not leave
N case war was declared, gave up
heir passage and were fortunate
enough to ship for Liverpool. There
hey were able to cash express money
orders and by waiting in line for sew
sral hours secured passage home on
he steamer Philadelphia, arriving in
New York Wednesday. Mrs. Mueller
md daughter stopped in Chicago and
Ben Mueller arrived here Sunday
light. They received no news of any
Kind on the trip home and did not
wen know of the death of Mrs. Wood
'ow Wilson, wife of the president I'M
ii landing in, New York. They were
stopped twice. once by an English man
If war and once by French torpedo
boat.
Noted Scientist Visits Academy
Prof. Frederick Starr, the well known