Page 38 - June 2016 BNP ALL
P. 38
Safecrackers go after the Thurmont Post Office
Page 38 June 2016 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
1916
by James Rada, Jr.
Safecrackers Go After the Thurmont Post Office
Photos Courtesy of Thurmontimages.com
Late one Saturday night in the fire proof material was scattered
1916, two men walked up to the over the entire room,” the newspaper
Thurmont Post Office, which at the reported. Shrapnel from the explosion
time was located on the first floor of had punctured the ceiling in at least a
the Masonic building on East Main dozen places.
Street. They walked casually, alone They couldn’t get what they had
on the street. They paused beneath hoped for. Inside the large safe was a
the street light that shined down strongbox where cash and stamps were
directly in front of the post office and stored. The explosion hadn’t harmed
then moved to the front door. the strongbox “and the thieves likely
They looked through the window thought it was unwise to tarry and
into the post office and saw no prepare to blow this after the noise
one inside, which is not surprising made by the first two explosions,” the
since it was around 1:30 a.m. on a Clarion reported. The second safe had
Saturday night. A light had been left contained nothing of value. Although
turned on in the office, though, so the third safe had been unlocked, they
they had to be sure. With practiced made away with only $1.25 that was
precision, they forced open the front in the safe.
door and slipped inside, shutting the The next morning, M. J. Albaugh,
door behind them so as not to draw The Thurmont Post Ofice on East Main Street as it appeared in the 1950s on who lived next door to the Masonic
attention. East Main Street. building, was walking along the
They then forced the door street when he noticed that the front
between the lobby and the work door to the post office was ajar. He
room. This is where they found postmaster and clerks,” the Catoctin Time was now a premium. The reported the break-in to Postmaster
what they had been seeking… the Clarion reported. people whom the explosion had Gernand and Robert Tyson. Both
post office’s large safe. It had been The safecrackers placed awakened would be groggy, and it men returned to investigate and
installed in the building when the nitroglycerine at vulnerable points would take them a bit to realize what found the damage in the workroom.
post office moved from its former on both the main safe and one of they had heard. They would call the The Postmaster Inspector arrived
location in the Thurmont Bank the smaller ones. A small wire was sheriff who would investigate, but in the afternoon and reviewed the
Building at the center of town. attached to the nitroglycerine and then it would take him time to track books. He found that all of the
Postmaster Joseph Gernand was also run across the room to the side down where the explosion had come money and stamps in the safe were
a harness maker. His shop had been door that opened onto the alley. from. The bank would be the most accounted for.
where the post office was, but he “By punching a chip from a panel obvious location, and it would be The Masons covered the damage
moved up to the second floor of the in the door, the wire was passed out inspected first. In fact, many residents to the buildings and the safes, while
building to make room for the post and into the alley and attached to a didn’t even report the explosion, even the postmaster had to reimburse the
office. battery and the charge set off,” the though they heard it, because they $1.25 that had been used to purchase
“Two other safes, smaller in size, Clarion reported. “all thought it to be someone putting American Red Cross stamps. No mail
were also in the room, and both The explosion was loud, but the off dynamite crackers and paid no was apparently disturbed.
contained papers valuable to the men did not panic. It was expected. further attention to the matter,” A piece of iron belonging to the
according to the newspaper. freight rigging of a freight car and
The thieves moved back into the wire for the explosives were the only
bank. The door from the two safes things that the thieves apparently left
had been blown clear of the safes behind. “There was no indication
themselves. The smaller door had that blankets or other material had
flown twenty feet across the room been used to deaden the sound of the
and struck the wall near the ceiling. explosion, and it is the question to
The door of the larger safe was many whether the work was done
heavier. It had blown free of the safe by experts or men yet new at the
and fallen over. business.”
Papers and books were strewn The case remained unsolved.
around the room. “Soap, which was However, the thieves may have been
used in closing the cracks around part of the other three safecracking
the door, was found pasted against robberies in the region that the
the carriers’ desks, and dust from Clarion reported on in early 1916.
THE CATOCTIN BANNER
ads @ thecatoctinbanner .com
Page 38 June 2016 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
1916
by James Rada, Jr.
Safecrackers Go After the Thurmont Post Office
Photos Courtesy of Thurmontimages.com
Late one Saturday night in the fire proof material was scattered
1916, two men walked up to the over the entire room,” the newspaper
Thurmont Post Office, which at the reported. Shrapnel from the explosion
time was located on the first floor of had punctured the ceiling in at least a
the Masonic building on East Main dozen places.
Street. They walked casually, alone They couldn’t get what they had
on the street. They paused beneath hoped for. Inside the large safe was a
the street light that shined down strongbox where cash and stamps were
directly in front of the post office and stored. The explosion hadn’t harmed
then moved to the front door. the strongbox “and the thieves likely
They looked through the window thought it was unwise to tarry and
into the post office and saw no prepare to blow this after the noise
one inside, which is not surprising made by the first two explosions,” the
since it was around 1:30 a.m. on a Clarion reported. The second safe had
Saturday night. A light had been left contained nothing of value. Although
turned on in the office, though, so the third safe had been unlocked, they
they had to be sure. With practiced made away with only $1.25 that was
precision, they forced open the front in the safe.
door and slipped inside, shutting the The next morning, M. J. Albaugh,
door behind them so as not to draw The Thurmont Post Ofice on East Main Street as it appeared in the 1950s on who lived next door to the Masonic
attention. East Main Street. building, was walking along the
They then forced the door street when he noticed that the front
between the lobby and the work door to the post office was ajar. He
room. This is where they found postmaster and clerks,” the Catoctin Time was now a premium. The reported the break-in to Postmaster
what they had been seeking… the Clarion reported. people whom the explosion had Gernand and Robert Tyson. Both
post office’s large safe. It had been The safecrackers placed awakened would be groggy, and it men returned to investigate and
installed in the building when the nitroglycerine at vulnerable points would take them a bit to realize what found the damage in the workroom.
post office moved from its former on both the main safe and one of they had heard. They would call the The Postmaster Inspector arrived
location in the Thurmont Bank the smaller ones. A small wire was sheriff who would investigate, but in the afternoon and reviewed the
Building at the center of town. attached to the nitroglycerine and then it would take him time to track books. He found that all of the
Postmaster Joseph Gernand was also run across the room to the side down where the explosion had come money and stamps in the safe were
a harness maker. His shop had been door that opened onto the alley. from. The bank would be the most accounted for.
where the post office was, but he “By punching a chip from a panel obvious location, and it would be The Masons covered the damage
moved up to the second floor of the in the door, the wire was passed out inspected first. In fact, many residents to the buildings and the safes, while
building to make room for the post and into the alley and attached to a didn’t even report the explosion, even the postmaster had to reimburse the
office. battery and the charge set off,” the though they heard it, because they $1.25 that had been used to purchase
“Two other safes, smaller in size, Clarion reported. “all thought it to be someone putting American Red Cross stamps. No mail
were also in the room, and both The explosion was loud, but the off dynamite crackers and paid no was apparently disturbed.
contained papers valuable to the men did not panic. It was expected. further attention to the matter,” A piece of iron belonging to the
according to the newspaper. freight rigging of a freight car and
The thieves moved back into the wire for the explosives were the only
bank. The door from the two safes things that the thieves apparently left
had been blown clear of the safes behind. “There was no indication
themselves. The smaller door had that blankets or other material had
flown twenty feet across the room been used to deaden the sound of the
and struck the wall near the ceiling. explosion, and it is the question to
The door of the larger safe was many whether the work was done
heavier. It had blown free of the safe by experts or men yet new at the
and fallen over. business.”
Papers and books were strewn The case remained unsolved.
around the room. “Soap, which was However, the thieves may have been
used in closing the cracks around part of the other three safecracking
the door, was found pasted against robberies in the region that the
the carriers’ desks, and dust from Clarion reported on in early 1916.
THE CATOCTIN BANNER
ads @ thecatoctinbanner .com
