New-York tribune., 1920-02-08
Four 'Deadline'
RObberies Net
$l30,OOO Loot
All Bear Marks of Same
Skilled Hand, Working at
Leisure and Acquainted
With the Surroundings

In an invasion unprecedented in re-
cent years of the financial district be-
low the dead line" skyscraper burg
lars have looted four Offices within
three days and stolen cash and secu-
rites valued at more than $4,000.
The latest victims reported are the
international Agricultural Corporation,
on the thirtieth floor of the Adams
Express Company Building, at 81
Broadway, where $14,500 worth Of
stocksF were taken, and the United Gas
and Electric Corporation, on the
twenty ninth floor of the same building,
where the thieves got bonds and cash
totaling $17,100. Both robberies took
place some time between p. m. Thurs
day and 8 a. m. Friday.
The other firms robbed were the
Pittsburgh Steel Company, at 100
Broadway, which lost $4,000 in stocks
Wednesday night, and Deering & Deer
ing, at 1876 Broadway, whose safe was
rifled Thursday night or Friday morn
ing of securities valued at $e5,0O0.
Thieves Ignore "Deadline''
The places entered are all south of
Fulton Street, below which it has come
to be considered suicide tor thieves to
venture because of the extraordinary
precautions taken to guard the district.
The last similar robberies took place
more than year ago. The four thefts,
detectives say, all bear the earmarks of
one hand. In every case the doors
to the outer Offices were jimmied or
the locks picked and the safes opened
by man who either knew the combi-
nations or was an expert on sounding
the tumblers
In the case of the United Gas and
Electric Corporation the thief found
the combination of the safe in book
which he took from a private desk in
the offices of the firm and opened the
door from the written instructions. The
book was found the next morning on
the floor near the safe open at the page
bearing the combination.
1t is the opinion of detectives that
the intruders hide in the buildings
until the offices are closed for the day
and then go about gaining entrance
in a leisurely manner. They believe
that the "jobs" are the work of some
one ignorant of financial matters, since
| most of the securities stolen are regis
tered and not negotiable. They say
that the thefts are also due to careless
ness on the part of Office heads in leav-
ing safe doors open and mbinations
easily accessible. The indiscriminate
hiring of new employees by building
superintendent is said to be responsi-
BILE in a large measure for the crop Of
robberies.
Two Safes Not Marred
1t was found that in the case of the
international Agricultural Corporation
the burglar gained entrance by pry-
ing open the stop of the door and
forcing back the lock with another
jimmy. There were no marks on the
doors of the two safes of the firm,
which were found locked by John F.
Floyd, the manager, when he arrived
at q. m. Friday. The inner compart-
rnents, however, had been ripped open.
From one of the safes $500 worth of
postage stamps were taken, and from
the other $4,000 worth of Liberty
bonds and $4,000 worth Of preferred and
$4,000 of common stock of the CONF
pany, the property of employees, were
missing.
From the safe of the United Gas and
Electric Corporation the burglars took
81 900 in cash, $1,100 in Liberty bonds
and $4,000 in other securities.