Safecrackers Get $7,500 from Junaluska Store, July 13, 1922

Junaluska Store Robbed by Yeggs of Over $7,500. . . Cash, Checks, Insurance and Valuables Taken When Safe Blown

Valuables in cash, checks, insurance, express orders, notes, mortgages and other things in excess of $7,500 were stolen about 3 o’clock Tuesday morning from the safe of the Junaluska Supply company’s store, owned by J. Liner and H.J. Sloan, at Lake Junaluska. Professional yeggman were responsible for the robbery, it is believed, because of the thoroughness and expert way they carried on their operations. The robbery was carried out in a swift, smooth and silent manner, except for the explosion which was heard by nearby residents. The get-away of the men was covered up well. Beyond tracing them to the State highway, one-half mile toward Asheville by a bloodhound, where it is believed the thieves took an automobile and headed toward this city, no clue yet has been found that will lead to their capture.

When the explosion was heard several persons rushed to the scene and found the front door had been forced from the outside by some powerful force; the door being strong and the lock being bent, through strong pressure. The glass of the door was also broken but this was believed the result of the explosion. The safe, a small one, was in the corner at the rear of the establishment, upon an elevated platform. From an examination of the remains it seems that nitroglycerine was used. Soap was found spattered on the sides of the walls and the ceiling and in some places it was found on the safe.

The force of the explosion drove the front door of the safe up against the wall, shattering some of the glass in the building. The interior door of the safe was forced by a pick taken from the store by the robbers and the valuables taken.

As soon as the robbery was discovered by the owners, the sheriff’s department was notified and a deputy sheriff with a bloodhound was sent to the scene, arriving on the noon train. The bloodhound immediately took up the scent and followed the trail up the back to the railroad a few feet in front of the store. The trail led up the railroad a few hundred yards, where checks of no value to the robbers aggregating around $300 were found. A few hundred feet farther on up the track, the trail branched off to the State highway, heading toward Asheville. Here the dog lost the scent and it is presumed by officers that the robbers took an automobile in making their get-away and headed in the direction of the city.

Most of the valuables taken were in notes, mortgages and other things. Cash to the extent of $100 and checks totaling $4,000 were taken.

From the front page of The Asheville Citizen, Thursday, July 13, 1922. Yeggmen were safecrackers who usually used explosives.