Graham guardian., 1917-02-09
BIG SIX ROBBERY
Store Entered and Safe Blown
Open by Yegg Monday
Morr ing

Thatcher woke up Monday
morning to quite a sensation,
which was brought about by the
visit of a yegg man to the store
of the Thatcher Implement and
Mercantile Co. (The Big Six,
resulting in the blowing up of
the large safe in the Office in the
rear of the store.
1t was about 200 O'Clock
Monday morning, when Mama
Skaggs, an employee of The Big
Six, who was asleep on the porch
of the Thatcher Hotel, south OF
the store and about half a block
away, was rudely awakened by
the noise of an. explosion. Jump
ing out Of bed, he saw a flash of
light from the rear window of
the Office. ..r
Shortly before the explosion
occurred, Ralph Robinson drove
into the hotel yard and just as
he was about to unhitch his horse
and put it up, the explosion oc-
Cured. .... ....
Skaggs hastily dressed and
joined Robinson and the two men
ran to the store, but soon realized
they were helpless, and then
they ran to Town Marshal Allen
home nearby and woke him up.
By the time the men returned to
the store, the yegg man had
made good his escape, evidently
being frightened, and in making
his getaway left a big bundle of
articles he had gathered in the
back yard of the building.
Manager w. w. Pace was
aroused at his home apd FASTENED
to the store, and shortly after
Sheriff, Mcbride rode up from
Pima. A search was made of
the premises, but the yegg left
no sclue that could be used to
identify him. -.
Examination of the premises
revealed the fact that the yegg
had gained entrance by pry-
ing open the Office window,
breaking one of the hinges on
the screen.
Evidently the yegg had gained
a good knowledge of the store
and premises, for he seemed to
have taken his time in preparing
his nitro glycerine mush on the
anvil in the blacksmith shop,
where he secured a long steel
drill and a hammer. The drill
was afterward found in the back
yard. s.. as -.uss 49,. .s.
He had used cheese on the top
of the doors of the safe, evident
ly running the ro-glycerlne in
the small crack, using large
quantity, and then placed his
fuse. The force of the explosion
shattered the big steel doors and
the combination plate and bent
the inner steel doors inward to
such a degree he was unable to
open them and get the money in
the safe. ne.... ..... u
An examination of the store
showed that the yegg had Sc
cured between $1,000 and $50. 90
out of the cash register on the
grocery side, but had not touched
thetregister in the dry goods de-
partment. He also carried off a
30-40 u. S. rifle.
In the well-wrapped bundle
found in the back yard, were the
following articles, which puts a
strange face on the robbery on
account of the selection made
by the yegg:
Two pairs of blankets, one box
As Colt shells, two cans Tuxedo
tobacco, two cans pork and beans,
one can Of milk, two cans of
jam, three cans deviled ham, one
bottle preserves, two glasses
Clipped beef, one can corned
beef, eight packages of figs, two
packages fancy crackers, one
pair shoes (size 81, triple e., two
boxes 80 calibre shells, one bot
tie picked onions, one glass pea
nut butter, three bars soap, five
packages Graham crackers, two
cans raspberries, two boxes soda
crackers, eight lemons and eight
oranges. f. .,..
This bundle was made up neat
ly for one man to carry, showing
that it was a one mans job.
The greatest loss to The Big
Six is the $625.00 safe, the big
doors of which were completely
shattered and cannot be repaired,
and on which there was no in
surance. ..-
The job might have been done
by a professional yegg, who evil
IDENTIFY bungled the blowing off
of the safe doors, as he had not
tried to prevent the noise of the
explosion by using blankets to
deaden the sound.