Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-26
3OOO-POUND SAFE AND
CONTENTS STOLEN FROM
WOODLAND co.'s OFFICE
Continued from page !

dent. IL Is the opinion that one OF more
of the gang acting as advance agents,
first visited the office, extinguished all
lights IN the vicinity and also made
readiness for the truck. Residents in
the neighborhood claim that both cleo
trio lights projecting from the door
way of the office entrance, as well as a
city gas lamp on the southwest corner
of Sixth and Grant avenue. were not
lighted early this morning when they
first observed the locality.
After all preliminary work had been
completed, the truck was then secured
and carted away The marks OF the
double tire truck were still in evidence
on the cement pavement early this
morning. BY these marks and by those
upon the street bed. il is the opinion OF
the police that the outlaws went south
on Grant avenue to Fifth street and
from thence in the direction of the
thickly wooded section of the country.
Woman Saw Truck Back Up.
Mrs. George Jacobs. wife of we'll
known railroad man. living at zoos
West Sixth street, who occupies apart
ments overlooking Grant avenue, as
well as the office of the Woodlawn Trus-
tees office, this morning stated that
she saw a truck backed up to the branch
| office. AT 2.10 o'clock this morning,
standard time (3.10 city time)." she
said. II was awakened by the crying
| of my baby. For some unforeseen rea-
| son / went to the window and could
| plainly see a truck backed to the office
door and also am object that looked like
a man. They did not work quietly for
J the removal of the safe sounded like
heavy milk cans being shuffied about
When asked why she did ont notify
the police. Mrs. Jacobs stated that she
! thought first of awakening her husband,
but after the truck had disappeared she
dismissed the matter from her mind.
The thought of notifying Mr.. Griffith
also entered her mind. However. due
! to the fact that she understood Mr..
| Griffith was not very well, she thought
| it best not to make her discovery known.
| Residents say two policemen had
been standing on the corner OF Sixth
and Union streets shortly before the
| robbery, also a millunan for the Clover
| Dairy had driven past in his team n
short time prior.
Mr.. Griffita, stated that the office had
| remained open last night until $50
| o'clock and that no suspicious charac-
| ters had been seen in the vicinity. Just
how much money was in the safe could
| not be ascertained. Some believed to
be familiar with the operations Of the
| Office thought the amount in the safe
/ may approximate $4,000. because sew
eral hundred tenants are believed to
have made their deposits after the bank
1 ing hours yesterday and that this
money had been placed in the safe prior
TO closing last night.
Mr.. Grifhth said he left the building
last night in good shape and that he
was satisfied that the place was locked.
| other than the removal OF the fling
cabinets and the safe, Office fixtures
were not disturbed. The thieves dr.
rected their attention to the work of
| removing the safe, and nothing else.
| The inside office door, after being re-
moved from it's hinges. was carefully
| placed to one side Finger prints on
| both the door and fling cabinets were
photographed this morning by Detec-
tive Horace Mcdaniel. who. with a
staff of other detectives. is working on
| the case
| Just where the robbers opened the
safe and divided their booty, fs not
| known Detectives have been scattered
| throughout the suburban section OF the
| CITY and tnorough SeArCn - pelhh
| made along all highways and small
roadsides-
| The robbery this morning Of the
| branch office of the Woodlawn Trustees,
| Inc is the second this year. On the
night of February 13. entrance was
| gained and an effort made to open the
| safe. but the burglars were scared on
prior to the completion of their work
Offcers of the company are: William
p. Bancroft. president: Charles A. Beck,
| treasurer; John p. Griffith. rent col
lector. MIR. Griffith has charge Of the
branch Office at the Grant avenue ad-
/ dress.
A few weeks ago the safe was stolen
from the Strand Theatre, Twenty-flfth
and Market streets, and carried out on
the Kennett pike. where il was broken
open and looted