Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-26
YESTERDAY WAS RENT
DAY FOR THE TENANTS
Thieves Got All of the Money
Paid in the Afternoon and
Evening.
SEVERAL HUNDRED
DOLLARS CARRIED OFF
Burglars Evidently Had the Stage
Well Set for Their Dramatic
Performance.

One Of the most daring safe robberies
perpetrated IL this city In recent years
uas uncovered early this morning, when
IL was learned that safe robbers had
rssaored into Wilmington in n heavy
6oubie-tire automobile truck, backed up
to the door OF the branch office of the
wocdlawn Trustees. Incorporated. at
SRI Grant avenue and removed 81
900 pound modern fire-p-oof safe and
cortents from the building. The safe.
IL was stated, contained from between
$50 to $500. However. officials of the
company have not definitely made
known their loss.
Tho safe was carried on to parts
unknown
The robbery was discovered shortly
afte- o'clock this morning by John p
Crirsth. who lives at Gil Grant avenue,
and who is rent agent for the Wood
lawn Trustees, Inc. Mr.. Griffith, talk
ing To reporter of Every Evening, this
morning stated that since the Inaugural
tion Of the daylight saving plan he has
been accustomed to arising early each
morning and working in his truck patch,
near his home. Thi. morning, upon
passing his office, at 5.15 o'clock, he
~~s startled to find the door on Grant
made an investigation OF the building
and upon entering the inner office found
that the safe was missing. The police
were immediately notified by telephone:
The robbers evidently had the stage
well set for carting away the safe. The
Woodlawn Trustees have at present. it
Was stated, approximately s41 houses.
for which rent is received on the 25th
az each month. Yesterday. the 25th,
tenants fiocked to the office from early
morning until the closing hour. at $50
last night.
Used NBorrowed- Truck.
The truck used by the thieves in
hauling away the safe, as well as the
four iron wheels Of the safe, were re-
covered shortly after : O'Clock this
morning. when workmen employed in
the garage of the Wilmington Leather
Co. on Greenhill avenue above Fourth
street, made the discovery that the
garage had been invaded during the
night, a truck taken out and used and
returned.
The truck, a sLa ton White. had been
replaced in the garage, not IN its usual
position however. An investigation
disclosed four iron wheels, which had
been left in the truck, answering the
description OF those of the Woodlawn
ONCE safe That the safe was taken to
the outskirts of the city and blown open
is evident, also, that the automobile
was stolen and replaced within
period of approximately two hours leads
to the belief that the safe-blowinE was
done within close range to the CITY
limits
Detectives. securing the countryside.
Cd U3frn-
man stationed at the P. & R. railroad
crossing at Greenville, that an autonio-
bile truck. answering the description
of the one stolen from the Wilmington
Leather Co. garage. passed over the
railroad crossing shortly after O'CLOCK
This coincides with the time mentioned
by Mrs Jacobs in her statement
Early Banking Fooled Thieves
That a large sum was not secured is
due 10 the fact that all money taken IN
for the houses prior to O'Clock in the
Afternoon is deposited in city banks.
This method was followed yesterday.
From O'Clock yesterday afternoon un-
.,l sac last night, it is stated, several
hundred tenants had made their month
lv deposits. This money was placed IN
the safe which early this morning was
cayted away by the thieves.
Upon the arrival of the police and
detectives. subsequent developments re-
vealed the fact that heavy truck had
hacked up to the Office door Of the build
ing facing Grant avenue. An auger OF
unusual size was used in boring holes
urrounding the lock on the front door
Of the office. BY extending the hand
through the hole and reaching on the
inside. the door was easily opened
The outlaws, upon gaining admittance
10 the Office, were confronted with
more serious proposition. The safe,
which was kept in the southwest corner
Of the Office. was protected by the inter-
Tor Office door, which was also locked.
By footprints on the counter of the
cashiers desk detectives saw that the
robbers had climbed over the iron graft
ing OF the cashiers desk, and then
cleared off filing cabinets and other Of
nee fixtures from the top of the safe.
Rolled Safe Out on Planks.
Finding that their heavy treasure
was too wide to pass through the inner
office door. the hinges were carefully
removed. The work Of the thieves was
next directed TO the rolling of the safe
from the Office onto the truck. Two
heavy planks were secured and extend
I'd from the doorway to the truck plat
form. With working conditions in their
favor II was an easy matter to make
their getaway. as nobody was evidently
around
That the time for the robbery was
decided upon in advance is quite evil
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