Furniture Co., which occupies the store adjoining the post office. When Otter was unable to open either of the front doors of the store with his keys he became suspicious and called Patrolman Frank Parker. Throwing their weight against the doors they forced an entrance and found that both had been fastened by large screw eyes.
On examining the store, they discovered below the main stairway on the first floor a hole in the wall about eighteen inches square. An electric drill with wires attached to an electric light socket under the stairs showed how the robbers had succeeded in cutting through the fourteen inch fireproof wall. Drills, chisels, and a small bottle of nitroglycerine were found a few feet away covered with dust. The floor in front of the hole and the wall about it were covered with blankets and quilts taken from the company's stock, apparently to deaden the sound of drilling. The bricks of which there was a small pile had evidently been drawn out one by one as fast as they were loosened, with the aid of a small pulley and tackle that were lying in the hole.
Some footprints in the dust at the foot of the stairs indicated that one of the men had been stationed there as a look-out to command a view of the street through the big plate glass windows of the store. These with the tools and tackle were the only clues.
Patrolman Parker notified the detectives of the central police station while Mr. Otter informed Postmaster White. When the post office vault was opened everything was found to be in confusion. The stamp cases had been rifled to the extent of over $18,000 worth of stamps of all denominations. The cash boxes had evidently been overlooked for they were found to be intact.
