Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1916 — ROB JESSEN’S SHOW WINDOW [ARTICLE]

ROB JESSEN’S SHOW WINDOW

Thieves Secure SIOO Worth of Loot By Smashing In Window Sunday Morning. The show window 'of Jessen’s jewelry store was smashed in at about 2 o’clock Sunday morning and four watches and two laviliers were taken. Some glassware in Uie window was also broken and the total loss, not including the plate glass window, which latter was covered by insurance, Is estimated by Mr. Jessen at about SIOO. A small piece of concrete, Weighing a couple of pounds, probably secured from the dity dump just southwest of the Washington street bridge, was used by the thief. The work was evidently not that of a professional, as they are supposed to wrap <he rock used in a newspaper, gunny sack or piece of blanket to deaden the sound. Evidently the thief had watched his opportunity when no one was on the street in the block where the store is located he had flung the piece of concrete through the dow from a few feet distant, as it lay at the back of the window next to the small doors of the case, and had struck the doors with quite a little force. He had then reached through the hole made, grabbed all of much value that lay within reach and took to his heels.

The crash of the glass was heard by Mrs. Devere Zea, who with her husband occupy rooms over Warner’s hardware store immediately on the west; by*C. P. Fate, who occupies the flat over The Democrat office, and some others on the street over near the State bank corner. H. C. Nevill also heard the crash and was among the first on the scene. C. P. Fate seized a shotgun and ran down on the street and found the nightwatch and assistants, and a search was made through the alloys, but the thief had made good his escape.

There were still quite a number of people on the street, but most of them were up about the public square. The thief, who was possibly some follower of the circus, had evidently ran to the postoffice corner and then turned north, and to find him was like hunting for a needle in a haystack. It was quite a bold robbery, and yet one easily got away with when one considers the circumstances.