Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-04
BANK ENTRY LAID
TO EXPERT YEGGS
Work on Sandy Spring Safe
Shows Professional
err Handling.
BY stan Correspondent of The star.

ny y Stan correspondent OF Inc 6Lar.
SANDY SPRING, Md, July AIT
tempted looting of the First National
Bank here was the work of experts, 1t
was indicated by Montgomery County
police, who made an investigation fol-
lowing the report to them Of the OPEN
ing Of the vault Sergt. Guy L. Jones
and Corpl. D. L. Snyder of the north
ern district station, at Silver Spring,
and Corpl. Roy Bodmer and Oficer w.
H. Mei son OF the Rockville headquar-
tiers. They found several clues, which
they expect may lead to the apprehen-
sion Of the robbers.
The fact that the robbers knew just
where to burn on the vault door, in
dictated their experience In such mat
tiers, 1t was pointed out, and 1t was said
that the door was so fitted that If the
men had burned anywhere else In the
door, additional holts would have been
shot into place, which would have
necessitated taking the whole door of.
The tank which they left behind was
that Of New York corporation, and
can be traced through its serial num-
Der. There is q possibility, of course,
that 1t was stolen. It was said that
the tanks of such material used around
that section do not come from New
York, but from nearby corporation.
Burn Many Matches.
While indications are that the ban
dts were experienced in cracking safes.
the evidence Of a great pile Of burned
matches seems to point to fact that
they. were not used to manipulating
the burner. Unless the adjustment Is
correct at the nozzle the fame will go
out, it was said.
They left behind them many excel
lent fingerprirtS, which were obtained,
and it will be ascertained whether the
perpetrators have previous criminal
record. They apparently sized up the
situation promptly, in passing the bank
some time before the robbery, as they
gained entrance through large win
dow right alongside the vault door.
Some remodeling Is being done on the
structure and the bars had been re-
moved from the windows, which made
access fairly easy. However, IN order
to get the two heavy tanks into the
building, the robbers had to lift them
up over a partially constructed brick
wall.
Although they apparently left in a
hurry, they did have time apparently
to take one of the tanks with them,
and also the burning equipment. There
were 1OunQ at the scene large ouccIc
Of corrugated cardboard, with which
they apparently shielded the flames
from outside view. The bank ofnc1alS
keep an electric light burning In the
bank all night and that was still burn
ing when the bank was opened In the
morning.
Leave Coin Sacks.
When they entered the vault, they
found only several sacks Of pennies and
nickels amounting to about $500. &C:
cording to Fred L. Thomas, cashier OF
the bank. These were moved toward
the outer door, together with some
books. apparently for the purpose OF
clearing the way for the burners to
work on the inner strong box. But an
attempt on this was not made Tor some
reason Neither did they take any OF
the coin-filled sacks, and II they got
anything, 1t was merely few dollars
in small coins from these sacks.
They increased their armament, also,
when they left the bank, and were pre-
pared for eventualities, by taking an
automatic riot gun, which was loaded
with six shells. This was kept in the
bank for emergency use, Is 1t Is the
NTH time that robbers have made an
attack on the institution, the last time
being in 1920, when Frank NJ. Halo
well, director, was killed during day
light hold-up.