Republican farmer., 1918-03-01
10 Rugs and Two Dozen
Blankets Silenced
the Explosion.
NITRO-GLYCERINE
USED BY ROBBERS
Finger Print Expert is
Baffled, Cracksmen
Wearing Gloves.
Monday, Feb. 25

Regimen OF a post graduate
order were at work in Bridge
port last night and according to
Detective Captain Cronan, pull
ed one Of the neatest and clean
est. jobs at safe cracking he has
ever seen. Entering Lee Bros.
furniture store, 1870 Main St.,
from the rear the yeggs, drilled
the doors of the two-ton safe,
soaped the seams, built cup
around the hole they had Dor
ed, filled the vents with nitro
glycerine and with expert &C
curacy detonated the charge
with. an electric battery obtain
ing 1000.
| The store was entered over the roof
of a shed on the Arch street side.
The windows offered but little resist
ance to the powerful tools carried.
Once inside the store the burglars lost
10 time in getting to work drilling
the safe in the Office at the rear of
the store.
| Gloves were worn by the yeggs so
that no trace was left for Lieutenant
George Haux, the Bertillon expert, to
work upon. When they had drilled
the safe near the lock between the
two heavy doors, had soaped the
seams, and poured the charge of ex-
plosive into the soap cup, they piled
Is comforters and 10 heavy rugs about
the massive steel safe that the explo-
sion might be deadened.
So powerful was the charge of
soup used that the heavy doors of
the safe were torn from hinges and
locks and hurled almost through the
building. Experts say the defamation
must have rocked the entire structure
and had it not been for the cunning
manner in which the thieves deadened
the noise with the rugs and comfort
ers, the explosion would undoubtedly
have alarmed the three families living
the entire neighborhood. AS it was
| ~ Oi1S ASdIu SNSl1 LliS IcA1IICoI 4lOAoSs
| When the, safe had been blown the
yeggs took the contents to the floor
above and examined them at their
leisure. All papers, checks; money or
ders, or other valuables that might
prove discriminating and awkward to
get rid of, were left with the rif1ed
money boxes, while the cash amount
ing to 81, 900, made up of bills of small
or medium denominations, and the
receipts of the weekly payments on
furniture formed the booty.
The yeggs left their kit of tools be-
hind, yard upon yard of insulated
electric wire, decorating caps, stee
bits and braces, soap worked into
the consistency of putty, and othel
equipment usually forming the layou
for the professional yegg. The rea
son for leaving all of this stuff be
hind was undoubtedly because /
would prove very suspicious if fount
upon them at any time.
George 2. Davis, the manager of tn
store, was in the building yesterda!
afternoon about o'clock and at tina
. time everything was in order, so it i
an stablished fact that the SAT-
cracking occurred sometime las
night. The robbery was not discov
r cred until opening time this morninI
and the police were Immediately no
tilted.
The loss will be covered by the in
surance as the Lee Brothers have ;
policy with the Travellers Insurance
Co., covering burglary. In the cleal
up the craftsmen overlooked 81,
ten and a one dollar note.
In discussing the case Captain Gro
nan said: This is the first SAT
blowing in Bridgeport since Thing
shoe store was paid visit by yegg
men about two years ago, and thos
fellows two years ago were amateur
compared to the birds that pulled of
. the job last night.
81 have never seen heater o
} cleaner job done by cracksneH and
, have looked over the work of som
of the most notorious in the world
The fellows who did the Lee job ar
experts Of the highest order. The
overlooked nothing but the 81
} which they may have left for luck
They had Il complete layout of tn
store and Offices and from all appear
ances spent considerable time in plan
ring the affair.
There are no new features con
: nected with last nights job, but
= differs from the ordinary yegg worl
q inasmuch as they took no chances an
9 were not careless even othe mos
trifling matter. The men are to-
, dangerous to be allowed at large S
a we must get busy and get them