Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-30
EXPERT JOB OF sAFEcRAckiNG
DONE At THEATER SOMETIME
SUNDAY NIGHT.
BELIEVE NITRoaLYcERiNE
USED IN BLOWING OFF DOOR
Manager Raehford Loses Fine Colt Re-
volver--Yesss Work Hurrisdly and
Leave SIT in Change Scattered on
F,oor--poas Used But Fail to Pick
up Trail--No Clue Left,

X Yeegmen who evidently knew theii
II business thoroughly blew open the sate
: at the Odeon sometime during the night
Sunday, and secured approximately 500
!. In cash and fine Colt revolver be-
longing to Manager James A. Rachford
II is thought that the man or men who
\. did the job were ignorant of local con-
n ditions, as there was nothing 10 indl-
2. cate that any great amount Of money
mwas in the safe. The robbery marks
| the first job Of safe cracking done
6lin this city in several years,
A Entrance was gained to the Cdeon
Softice thru the window that opens on
ytthe alley. facing south. a small hole
] was made in one Of the upper paneS
naud the window catch unlocked The
aisafe itself was evidently blown open
I. with nitro-glycerin, as soap was found
3hplastered all over the pictures and
twoodwork of the office.
j. Door Blown OF CIeanly.
AZ When Manager RaChford arrived al
ythe theater al 40 this morning, ne
3rfound the remains Of the safe door
living on the office floor, and the in
4 terror cleaned out. The outer shell OF
1.-THE safe door was intact. with only
Ga small dent In the bottom giving evil
5dence OF tamperiug. The heavy, tele-
.scoped backing Of the door however
sstwas shattered into small pieces
Evidences Of haste We're apparent
;eyerywhere. Altho most of the money
NJ the safe was in silver. there was
much small change, and two silver dol
lars scattered about the floor Man
Eager Rachford picked up $1ll0 in
.rhange his morning, including s. in
dimes, which had not been touched. y
|.pocketbook filed with cards and adj
dresses was thrown 10 one side. and a
Masonic cipher book, which had all
been in the safe. were thrown on the
,loor Manager Rachford's desk was
untouched. The window was closed
and locked by the men after they left
That the men would not have Sc
cured as much money as rhey did had
not A j. Busby of Waterloo, sent
down 500 Saturday for paying the
theater employees on May l, was the
statement of Mr. Rachford this morn
INK. lie IcCcIpls "a tHe Al IpiISii
show on Sunday night had been ad-
| justed. and ordinarily there would have
oeen hut s25 or $50 in the safe.
Police Search Suspects.
Three men who stayed at the Wilson
Hotel Sunday night were searched by
the sheriff this morning as they We're
about to take the Chicago Great West
srn train to Berlin. The men said they
came from Missouri. and satisfied the
sheriff that they were on their way
% work on the county bridge gang at
Berlin Nothing was found on them
W. n. Throne, proprietor of the
Wilson Hotel, heard report or ex
olosion at 4:40 this morning. He
thought it was an automobile tire and
stepped out doors to look in front Of
he two garages near the hotel. He
Jaw no automobiles, however. and
thought nothing more of the report un-
il he heard Of the Odeon robbery. The
sheriff was inclined TO doubt that this
report was connected with the safe
Cracking because of the hour. az it is
auite light at o'clock at this time Of
he year Rloodhounds belonging 10 A.
Ward were taken to the scene of
he robbery this morning but failed to
pick up a trail