The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-06
WATCHMEN ARE
COVERED AND
3 SAFES BLOWN
Loot Includes $35, 900 in Cash,
$4,000 in Stocks and
Bonds, and Jewelry
YEGGs WORK QUIETLY
l Watchman Forced TO Make
Regular Hourly Rounds to
Pull Signal Bells

st. Paul, Dec. 6-(P)-Morc than
$4,000 was obtained by three men
who blew three safes in Schuncmann
4 Manheimer's department store
here last night. The robbers worked
for four hours in the store, guard
ing two watchmen and forcing one
Of them to make his regular hourly
rounds to pull BELLS"
The loot included $4,000 in cash,
$4,000 in stocks and bonds Of which
about $4,000 is negotiable, and sew
eral pieces Of jewelry which had been
stored in the safe.
The three men gained access to
the store. in the downtown district
less than two blocks from police
headquarters, shortly after s p. IN.
They entered a fourth story window
from the roof Of another building
and, although they set off six
charges in the store in blowing the
safes, worked So quietly and
methodically they failed to attract
attention Of hundreds Of theatre
goers on the streets.
Watchmen Handcuffed
Stephen Wells. one of the watch
men, was making his rounds on the
fourth floor at \ o'clock when the
three men stepped from behind a
counter.
The robbers then cornercd l. A.
Gravel, substitute watchman and
porter. and handcuffed him and
Wells.
Gathering together blankets and
mattresses and other material. the
men set about the work Of blowing
Once every hour they forced Wells
to make his rounds of the building
to pull the signal boxes. Shortly
before midnight the men left. Their
loot was in four sacks which they
loaded into an automobile waiting
outside.
When the watchman, who had been
handcuffcd to post, did not report
at midnight, the signal company sent
an investigator who called the build
ing superintendent.
Chauffeur Waits Outside
Much Of the $4,000 constituted
the income from the Saturday bust
ness. Because of their method of
procedure, the bandits arc believed
to have planned the robbery several
weeks ago. An armed chauffeur in
an automobile was stationed just
outside the store to carry away the
loot and his mates.
Detectives ascertaincd that the
men jimmied door in the Friedman
building next to the store. On the
second floor they broke into va
cant room and reached fire escape
on which they climbed to the roof
One of the trio, described as very
youthful, kept a gun trained on
Wells and accompanied him on his
rounds every hour. The others OBJ
tanned flashlights and guns for use
in the safe cracking.
Fingerprints Secured
The gloves hindcred police in oh
tanning fingerprints, some of which
were secured from flashlights left
behin
Gravel was handcuffcd to a post
Is feet away from the safes. When
he protested that he was getting
tired and cold, a blanket was thrown
over him. At 1913 p. M. the build
ing superintendent called by tcle-
phone to ask Wells if everything was
all right. One bandit accompanied
Wells to the phone and told him to
keep mum about the job if you want
to live" Wells told the superintcnd-
! cnt all was we'll.
After their work was completed
| the men locked Wells and Gravel to
the same post with handcuffs.
Police have arrested half dozen
suspects for questioning.