Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-05
SAFE BLOWERS FOlLEO
IN EFFORT TO CRACK
MILFORD p. O. VAULT
Continued from psGc ]


thieves off. An empIoye of bank. re
turning from a party. about O'Clock,
noticed tho bank blinds down at about
Oh. Same time officer Davis made
similar discovery. and each made nasty
investiration Davis today recalled
,hat he saw a car running east on
North Second street at about O'CLOCK
hut at that time he did not know OF the
robbery.
While Il is not definitely known. II is
l,,.otv that the thieves abandoned their
task after il began TO look hopeicss'
Thev had used nitroglycerin ana soap
i'm their attack on the safe, thoush they
had gotten the small stamp pox open
with a Jimmy. There was n smaii saie
i'm the Office containing oniy STAMPS
which the misCreants evidently KNEW
for they didn't touch II. This leads 10
the belief that they We're ola hahos NJ
the game.
W., uttle damage was done to the
nostofice. A rear window had been
nried omen. the catch first being pried
or 1, was not necessary TO do further
damage To get about.
stole Auto and Tools First.
That The outlaws came here unpre-
nored for the big job is evident from
the fact that they first stole an auto
mobile and the necessary tools. They
broke into the tool house OF the Penn
svlvania railroad, near the station,
where they took Crowbar and cold
chisel They also broke into Leonard
j. Ahbott's garage. at All washington
street. n short distance from the post
ONCE. which is at Second ana walnut,
south Milford From the garage they
R1h vi
belonging to MIR. Abbott. also some tools
and an automobile robe. These they
took TO the postofiice. using the tools
and blanket in their work there, the
blanket. presumably. to dcaden the
sound ana outward effect of the explo-
sions. All of the tools and the blankets
were, found in the postofiiCe in front of
the vault door after the thieves had
gone.
The robbery occurred between and
3 o'clock. At > O'Clock Policeman
Davis. according TO statement he made
later. passed the postoiiiCe and noticed
that everything was all right. the blinds
N the windows being up, as they should
he He passed the postofiiCe next at
2tO Noticing the blinds at the money
order window drawn, he suspected that
something was wrong and began an
nvcstiEation IIc found the back door
and a window in the rear open. the
latter having been pried open. Going
inside hc saw where the stamp box
and vault had been tampered with. He
hurriedly called the postmaster. who
lives a short distance away. and the
latter made quick investigation. He
found that the stamp box. which is like
/, small metal rolltop desk which was
locked the night before. had been pried
open. He also found where the COM
htration had been blown of the vault.
hut the door Of the latter was iammcd
So that il could not he opened. The
explosion had evidently done this, in
which event the thieves didn't get a
look in." Had they got in the vault
they would have made a good haul,
as practically all Of the valuahles were
there.
Didn't know Thieves Had Car.
Ten minutes after he heard Of the
robbery y-S. 80 10 he exact Postmaster
Robinson was on the wire spreading
the news. in an effort 10 head the thieves
Of. At that time. unfortunately. he
did not know that they were making
their getaway in an automobile; If he
had the effort 10 intercept them would
have been simplifed. He did not learn
until the matter was reported from the
Abbott garage along about breakfast
time. that a car and tools We're missing
from there.
The postmaster called up the Sussex
sheriff at Georgetown. State Detective
INnch. there. chief Of Police Lane Of
Dover. Warden Plummer of the work
house the latter notifying the Whining
.un police: the railroad authorities a
Harrington. also officials at Bridge
lille and towns in all directions. includ-
ing some on the Eastern Shore of Mary
land.
Up TO o'clock this afternoon. how
~ er there was no trace OF the burg
lars. as far as was known here The
postmaster next telegraphed the Post
office Department at Washington, ask
ing that some person be sent to open
IN" vault II is expected that the lat
i-r viii arrive this afternoon. Fortu-
ustcly there We're enough stamps in the
small safe. that had not been disturbed,
D. TAX, care Of today's business. II is
expected that the vault will be opened
late this afternoon or tonight.
The car stolen from Mr.. Abbott in
which the thieves got away, is conspic-
uous enough 10 hetray them. provided
they DO not discard it. II is a fve-pas-
scuger Nash. with light blue body and
yellow running gear. The license number
j. Delaware 3,2Is and the engine num-
ber 3O.634.