The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-08-07
TRADE OF THIEF
ACTIVE IN CITIES
From thursdays Daily.

ralueu Dy DurBiars last evening. FAs
rule the thieves had very little
success. They did, however, make 9
haul of valuable clothing for women
at the Kron department store. The
loss here is estimated between $3.50
and s275. AS a general thing, how
ever, they made their way TO the
cash drawers. only to find that al
the money had been removed, with
the exception Of a few pennies, which
the thieves themselves scorned &c
touch.
II was hoped that the dresses would
prove a means of running down and
establishing the identity OF the
thieves. The police were inclined to
think II all the work of tramps. II
did not seem to be what would be
done by professional burglars, as
so many places we're broken into
where there was nothing worth the
while of n regular burglar.
Kron Heaviest Loser.
After prying open a window at the
rear emu VI tHc hIOu ucpnitlhcue
store, just over the basement stairs,
some time last night, thief gained
entrance to the store, made his way
upstairs to the second story and
stole two grips and a considerable
number of skirts and petticoats. A
little money, about SIS, lay loose on
the counter I'm the Office. This was
all the money that had been left
I'm the store and this was not touch
ed. There was no evidence that the
Office was entered at all.
One of the stolen satchels was a
Morocco leather suitcase and the
other was an alligator-skin imitation
travelling bag. The articles stolen
included twenty-five jersey-top petit
coats. some of which were green and
some black. Among the stolen goods
were also twelve messaline silk
skirts. eight cheap petticoats and
two wedding suits In white.
Women's Garments Stolen.
II is not thought that the robbery
was committed by a woman, al
though women's garments were the
only kind that were stolen, as far as
was discovered, when the store was
opened this morning. There were
some large footprints In the alley,
from which the store was entered,
prints that could have been made
only by a mans shoes. The small
window. by which the store was en-
tered, had been secured with iron
shutters on the outside, and these
had been firmly closed and locked on
the evening before, when the store
was closed, but the thief must have
them open with a crow.
bar. The lock was wrenched of and
the iron doors were somewhat bent
out Of shape.
Four Other Places Entered.
Besides Kron's department store,
four other business places we're
broken into last night. These were
the Lampert Lumber company's Of.
fee. Second and Main streets; the
Botsford's Lumber company's quar-.
tiers at 602 South Front street; the
office Of the Hayes-Lucas Lumber
company, 701 South Front street,
and J. NJ. Vance's feed store, 7O5
South Front.
In only one Of these places was
anything stolen, as far as could be
discovered. This was at the Bots
ford office, where three dollars
worth Of stamps was taken from a
drawer.
Only Few Pennies.
The Lampert Lumber company's
place was entered by forcing open a
back door. pulling off the iron piece
on the easement, into which the
plunger of the lock fits. The
thieves opened a money drawer that
contained only a few pennies. As
far as could be seen, the pennies
were left undisturbed. A tin box,
in which some OF the company's
records were kept, was taken out In
TO the yard and pried open. AS
the thieves found no money inside,
the papers were left in the box,
which was found in the yard.
At the Botsford establishment, 1t
Is uncertain how the intruders got
in but there are many back doors
to the place, where entrance can
easily be effected by poking at the
latches from the outside with a
stick. II was here that the stamps
were taken. The safe was found
tempered with. Nothing else was
missed. There was hardly anything
in the Office, that was worth the
time of a burglar. ..- s-
Back Window Pried OF.
At the Hayes-Lucas office, a back
window was pried of, the lower
sash being forced up, tearing OF the
iron piece on the upper sash, where
the window lock fits In. Nothing
was stolen here. Indeed there was
nothing to steal. .... ....,-..
The feed store of ]. NJ. Vance
was entered by pulling out staple
into which was fastened a hook
that secured the back door. Here
the money drawer was opened, but
there was nothing In IL to take, as
the money had been carefully depos-
tied when the store was closed last
night. About the only thing In that
place that might have tempted a
thief was the -four, but this was not
disturbed.