The Washington times., 1927-07-04

Practically without a clue,
the police are bending every
effort toward apprehending
the band of yeggmen who blew
open the office safe in Kings
Palace department store, So
818 Seventh st. N. W., yes
terday and escaped with
nearly $4,000 in checks and
cash.
Two Theories On Case
The detectives assigned to the
ease are working on two theories:
first, that the men used a ladder
in entering a third-floor window;
or that one of the band concealed
himself in the building prior to
the closing of the store Saturday.
A Daring Robbery
The police describe the robbery
as one eof the most daring eve
effected here. The wrecked safs
was discovered by . store watch.
man, John Ihre, rs Eighteenth st.
s. E., when he came on duty short.
ly after . o'clock last night.
Sylvan King, 1910 Military Rd.
N. W, manager OF the store, said
the loss was fully covered by in.
surance. He is working in the
store today with two finger print
experts in an effort to discover
some clue to the identity Of the
robbers. Mr.. King said he does
not believe any employee of the
store was mixed up in the affair.
Three brothers. Philip, Harry and
Joseph King. own the store.
An examination Of the building
failed to show any way i'm which
the thieves might have forced entry.
All doors and windows on the first
and second floors were locked from
the inside and apparently had not
been tempered with. A time lock
on one OF the front doors, however.
mad been carefully removed. leading
police to believe the men left that
way
hire had gone off duty at 6 o'clock
sunday morning and discovered the
ROBBERY shortly after he came back
on duty at 8 o'clock that night. He
rushed to the street and summoned
Alfred G. Groves, 110s K st. N e..
and together they notified the police.
Safe Was Old.Fashioned.
The safe was large and oId.fash.
Toned with two large doors opening
IN the center. One of the knobs had
been sawed off and the stub of the
stem drilled out.
Several ounces Of nitroglycerine
mad been poured into the hole and
the edges caulked with soap to pre-.
vent the explosive from 'eakiiag out
me safe had been buried under a
mass OF cloths taken from the dis.
play counters in the store.
A large sheet was hanging from
the time clock to a nearby millinery
case. shielding the safe from the
views OF passersby on Eighth street.
me snoothness and thoroughness
with which the thieves worked led
police to believe they were experts
in their line.
The money stolen represented the
receipts from Saturdays sales, and
was Kept in several sacks in an
INSIDE compartment nf fha safe The
door Of this section was pried omen
WIN a chisel. The discovery that
Two handbags were missing from
the leather goods department in
dicated that the yeggs had en-
ployed this means Of taking the
money from the store.
Alarms in Good Order
A preliminary examination Of the
burglar alarms showed them ali to
be in good working order. This, 20.
lice say, precluded any possibility
that the men might have entered
from the outside without sounding
the alarms. They are working
largely on the theory that the yeegs
were admitted by a confederate who
mad concealed himself in the store
Saturday.
Police working on the case are De.
tective Sergeants George Darnall.
Thomas Sweeney, Patrick O'Brien,
John Fowler, z. e. Thompson and
]. G. Collins. Fred Sandberg. police
finger-print expert, made q COM
plete examination Of the store and
the safe today.