Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-02-20
New Postoffice Entered.
Ycggs Force Three Doors But
Fail TO Get Valuables In Safe.


Fail TO Get Valuables In Safe.
Forcing three doors that were lock ed
burglars who sometime between two and
a. 80 o'clock Saturday morning entered
the handsome new Frederick postofflce
on East Patrick street apparently failed
in their attempt to blow open the door
on the safe, took about So cents from a
cash drawer and 81 90 in due stamps and
then made their escape.
The robbery was one of the boldest
perpetrated in this city for long time
with the possible exception of the holdup
of the night clerk of the City Hotel this
past October when about 81 900 was taken.
Experts did the job at the postoffice.
An Investigation and view of the work
will convince anybody of that. They
left but little clue behind, the principal
one being a screw driver that had been
taken from county blacksmith shop.
owned by A. H. Jackson of New Market.
The big new vault in the money order
and registry room at the postoffice was
the object of the safe crackers, but it
probably proved to be too much OF
proposition for them. The door was
bulged in the center where the combina-
ton is attached and nearly every bolt on
it was Jared, but the door itself never
moved from its position, it appears.
Nitroglycerin is believed to have been
used.
1t is thought, however, that before the
safe was cracked, they visited other
parts of the building, There are two
large vaults in the building, the one be-
ing in the office of Postmaster William
son and the other being in the money or
der and registry room. The vault in the
postmasters office was not locked 1t
contained nothing of value, the contents
being principally made up of records.
The postma ster found this door standing
ajar. The lids on two small boxes inside
he vanh had ben raised but nothing had
oeen taken.
A drawer at the stamp windows, which
was locked, was also forced open, the
counter being raised at the one end about
a quarter of an inch from the piece of
wood to which it was fastened. The I'M
print of the instrument with which this
was done could plainly be- seen.
1t is thought that after the vault in the
postmaster's office had been visited and
the stamp box pried open, the safebloW-
ers went to the vault in the money order
and registry room. Here the work that
was done gave every indication OF pro-
fessonals. Pieces of fuse, guncotton
and other materials were found on the
floor. The force of the explosion loosed
"A number of bolts in the vault door, and
blew the heads off some of them, and
this gave rise to report that number
of holes had been dsilled in the vault.
After working for some time the door
on the vault which was blown by the
burglars was opened Saturday afternoon
about 40 o'clock. 1t was then learned
positively that the burglars were foiled
in their attempt.
The force of the explosion broke the
handle off the outside of the vault door,
throwing another piece of mechanism
across the door on the inside and com
pletely barring the yeggmen in any at
tempt to open the vault. This was prob
ably the only thing that frustrated them
in their efforts and thus they foiled
themselves.
When the vault door was opened. 1t
was found that the casing across the in,
terror was blown loose and the end Of the
combination box was also bulged out and
partially loosed. Next to the outside door
was another door which would had to
have been forced BIB the safecrackers,
and this had been opened. they would
have encountered still another strong
safe in which was kept all the valuables.
When this safe was opened Saturday af-
ternoon everything was in the same
identical position as when the vault was
locked Friday night. The work of open
ing the outside door was done by James
E.. Soft.
Just about week ago the postotfice
at Hanover was entered and the safe
/ cracked in much the same manner as
the vault in the local office. The yegg-
men in Hanover secured about SIS, 900
worth of booty and have never been
caught. The Hanover building resembleC
that here and it is believed that the
same gang of crooks operated there as
! did i, Frodarick