Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-07
SAFE CRACKERS
SUCCESSFUL IN
FIRST ATTEMPT
Latest Development In Crime Wave
is Appearance OF Skilled
Dynamite Users.
INDUSTRIAL HOME IS SCENE
Custodian of Building Hears Noise
But Does Not Investigate
Secure 500 Loot.

Safe blowers are now added to
the criminal talent rampant in this
city, and q safe cracking job was
pulled off at 1:15 this morning on
the second floor of the Industrial
Home building, Third avenue and
TWenty-hrst street, in which $500
was stolen, is proof positive that
none but experienced yeggs could
have perpetrated this crime.
Two yeggs entered the room of
the carpenters union at the Indus
trial hall and with two charges of
soup" blew both the outer and in
ner doors of the safe from their
moorings and escaped with approx
imately $500 in money and checks.
About half was cash and half in
checks, the pdaice say.
]. A Parks, custodian of the
building, and his wife were in their
rooms next to the carpenters room
at the time of the safe blowing and
although some suspicious were
aroused as to noises in the room ad-
joining, nothing was believed to be
seriously amiss until Mr.. Parks en-
tered the room at this morning
and found that the safe had been
blown.
Peculiar instances in the case are
that the carpenters had adjourned a
meeting shortly before the safe
blowing took place and that the
moving picture operators union
was holding a meeting during the
time of the robbery few rooms
quay from fba coaDa of tho tbpff
Heard Two Explosions.
The building custodian stated
this morning that, as he sees it,
there is but one reason why he is
alive this morning, and that is that
he had forgotten his keys when he
suddenly took an impulse to enter
the room at the time when the
yeggs must have been in the place
and while he was out in the hall
turning out the lights for the night.
He asserts that on investigation he
found his keys had been left in his
rooms, and as the impulse to enter
the room left as suddenly as it had
come, he completed his tour of the
halls and retired to his rooms.
Shortly afterwards he heard a
deep boom such as is made by
door being closed with some force,
and such as is heard in the build
ing frequently. Mrs. Parks states
that she heard a second similar
noise, which must have been the
second explosion. She called to
her husband, who by this time was
asleep. She then went to the door
of their room and looked into the
hall, and saw two men walking
away from the door of the carpen-
ters' room. She notified her hus-
band, but he informed her that all
must be alright as on frequent oc-
casiOnS the men were in the habit
of staying late. The men were de-
scribed by Mrs. Parks as being
slightly above medium heighth and
trance by forcing the door away
from the jam with jimmies, releas-
ing the lock catch.
On entering the room this morn
ing Mr.. Parks found the main door
of the safe hanging by one hingle
and the inside door completely
blown off. Fireproof substance
within the safe had been broken up
and thrown over the room by the
force of what is believed to have
been two explosions, one explosion
to loosen each door of the safe. To
muffle the sound of the explosions
the yeggs used a towel and two UNI
breIlas. In what manner the UNI
brelIas were used is not known, but
one was found to have been COM
pletely shattered.
Edward J. Struss, financial secre-
tary for the carpenters local,
would make no statement today as
to the exact amount taken by the
yeggs in money and checks, and
stated that he had nothing to say in
the matter.