The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-04-14
SAFE CRACKERS
ROB LILLY VAULT,
FIND ONLY $l.7O
Yeggmen Would Have Got
ten $500 Had They Work
ed Night Before.
SCALED PLANK AND
PRIED OPEN WINDOW
Salve Used by Thieves to Hold
Blast in Warehouse
Till.

The safe-cracker that blew the safe
in the office of Thomas S. Lilly, the
wholesale flour dealer, got only $l.7O,
which, the police say, was not suffi-
cient to cover the cost of the "soup"
used in opening the vault.
Had the money till been cracked
twenty-four hours earlier, Mr.. Lilly
said yesterday, the yeggs would have
received more than $500 for their
work. "But this has been a lesson for
me-" said Mr.. Lilly. 81 will see to it
that all money is deposited in the bank
each evening"
At what time the thief or thieves
entered the warehouse Tuesday night
is not known. The robbery was dis
covered by Edgar Kain, an employe,
when he opened the Office yesterday
morning. As Mr.. kain approached
the building, a coIored lad notified him
that the south door was open. This
aroused Kain's curiosity, and he I'M
mediateIy began an investigation.
He found the door leading to the
office ajar, and as he entered the
room he noticed the safe open and
papers and checks scattered about the
floor. TIE varnish on the safe door
revealed the robbery.
He then communicated with Mr..
Lilly, after which he telephoned to
Chief of Police Hutson. Rudolph Field
hoff, who was passing on his way to
work, was called into the Office to look
at the wreck. Mr.. Feldhof is familiar
with safes and has helped to repair
many that have been cracked by
thieves. He said that nitro-glycerine
had been used.
A Jimmy and a piece of lead-pipe
were left III the Office by the safe
blower, but there were no indications
that the pipe had been used. The
police were unable to explain the pur-
pose of the lead-pipe.
In effecting an explosion of this
character, thieves usually seal the
crevices in the door by plugging it up
with soap, and after this has been
accomplished, the explosive liquid is
poured into the crack at the top. The
coat Of soap forms a cup, which holds
the soup" and makes it possible fol
the thief to get a sufficient quantity
of it in the aperture TO force the safe
But instead of using soap in cracking
the Lilly vault, the robbers substituted
hOrse-salve, which is sold by Mr.
Lilly. The box from which the salvt
was taken was covered with a yellow
fluid, which had been left by the
safe-crackerS.
The cash drawer had been removed
and taken awayby the thieves. 1t con
tained only $1.7O in cash and some
papers, which had no value, Mr.. Lii!
stated to The Tribune yesterday.
The warehouse offers an ideal fielC
for robbers. 1t stands beside tn
c. G. & n. railroad tracks and on tn,
brow of Happy Hollow, which at tha
particular place is filed with under
brush and debris, affording excellen
places for hiding. Because of its iso
lated location, Mr.. Lilly has not unit
recently kept money in the safe. TIL
vault has been used for the books o
the firm, but recently Mr.. Lilly ha
kept money there over night.
Mr.. Lilly made an investigation yes
terday to ascertain how the thieve
entered his establishment. The ha
warehouse, which stands above tn
ground, resting on stills, is hig
enough for man to walk beneath i
A board pried loose from beneath TIL
building was used to climb up to til
office window on the south side Of til
main building.
Mr.. Lilly is confident that at lea:
two men participated in the robber,
Because of the distance from tt
ground to the window, it would
necessary for one man to have assiste
the other in scaling the board al
prying open the window. The boar
used in reaching the window was le
leaning against the building.
Once on the inside, the burglar hf
access to the entire building. He u
(Cnntinnad ON mage 81