The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-02-16
SAFE BLOWERS
AT MARION
Yeggmen Make Unsuccessful
Attempt TO Rob POstoffice

Marion, Feb. 1o.-rhc postonice in
Marion WAS entered last night and
an A.icmpt was made to open the big
NaHit whore the stock Of stamps and
other Naluabics are usually stored.
The back door Of the building was
shattered with hammer and scv-
clT'l cash drawers were robbed about
500 IN cash being taken. No small
chmEc WAS accepted by the robbers.
who took only tn" big money. \
&""dIy amount of stamps was left in
a drawer at tn" general delivery win
""", from Wlsch some money WAS
stolen. I'm The main Office. which con
t'inS % bic outside safe ana q. bic
Nahll, a great deal Of damage was
done
Upon entering the Office this morn
! lnS clerks found that not only had
me back door been shattered. various
. cash drawers forced open, but the
vault had been attacked with a good
! ~ load Of soup" Upon the floor was
a S'edSo hammer, which was found to
be the property Of w. ". McEachern.
! blacksmith. whose shop was entered
| during the night; a medicine drop
| per, with which the uitroglycerine
was poured into the crcvices Of the
vault; green wood stopper and the
! hinge butts and jhe combination
! knob TO the vault.
! The robbers had broken the butts
/ from the two bis hinges with the
sj"9Gc ana had used the same tool to
/ hr"ak OF tn" combination. Then SOAP
was cup. I'd about the opening. The
soup poured in and the fuse set off.
The only result seems TO have been a
@oodly amount of soap thrown across
the Office against the opposite wall.
| the stopper blown out and the vault
! door puffed out at the center OF the
| explosion.
! so crude were the Instruments used
! that folk are constrained TO believe
| that this was the work Of amateurs.
! as it is not believed that profes-
| Slonai y"Sg would have failed to have
! opened the vault at the first shot.
On the other hand, there seems to
! be evidence of the work Of q SPOT
| ter IN This case, as no less than three
! attempts We're made to steal high
class and high powered automobiles
/ during the night. The garage OF Hen
~ Buck was forced open, but Mr..
! Buck had locked the switch of his
car and it could not be moved.
IN attempt was made to enter the
garage of +. II. Hughes, but this at
| tempt failed.
! At the home of II. l.. Tighman.
! however, the garage was broken into.
! a big Packard Six started un and
! driven ouc into the street, where the
! driver in his haste chokcd the en-
! @ine SO patient was he. however.
! that he ran the batteries down i'm
attempting to start the engine again.
| tie had simply mistaken the spark
lever FOX the gasoline lever and kept
the engine flooded viii gas The car
vas found in the street before the
TIlghman home, Il few blocks from
ih" poStoflice, early today.
Postmaster J. l.. Monteomorv
promptly reported the matter 10 the
| government authorities. but as vet no
steps are known to have been taken
looking toward the apprehension Of
the burglars.
80 ON" has been found who heard
IN" explosion or who saw any suspi-
ci"uS characters i'm or near he town.
The night Watchman felt unwcu
about II o'clork and went home.
pn" % tn" clerks worked ut tlc
postoIcc UHtu midnight. and on lc:lv-
ing at the hour saw nothing to make
him apprchcuSiNc. Alarionitcs are
chagrincd at having thcir nice. new
%@0.0O0 pos Office treated like u cross
roads grocery store.