High Point, July 2—Cracking open the rear end of the safe in Efird’s department store, Main Street, near Washington Street, in the heat of the business section of this city, robbers at about 3 o’clock this morning made their get-away with about $270 in silver, which was located in a bag in the safe, overlooked about $2,100 in paper currency, $1,100 in Liberty bonds, $715 in war saving stamps and $37,000 of insurance policies which were tucked in a cigar box.
After their safe blowing the robbers evidently set fire to the store as a means to cover their crime. In a short time after the fire started the building was enveloped in flames, the loss to stock and building being about $45,000, practically all of which is covered by insurance.
The entire stock of goods in the store has either been burned or water soaked beyond any salvage. All that remains standing of the building, a two-story brick structure owned by Mrs. Bruce Carraway, are the walls. The fire evidently started in the rear of the building and spread quickly to the front.
Fireman Honeycutt stated today that he heard a loud noise about 3 o’clock this morning, awoke from his slumbers and notified another fireman of the incident. Shortly afterwards the alarm of fire was turned in and when the fire department arrived the store was in a mass of flames, which were rapidly eating the stock and fixtures in the department store.
W.A. Scott, deputy insurance commissioner of North Carolina, was here today investigating the cause of the disastrous fire. He stated that it was his opinion that the floors of the store and goods had been soaked with kerosene. He based his belief on the fact that the fire had made too great a headway, the store being enveloped in flames at practically the same time.
Some have advanced the opinion that the fire was caused by the explosion in the cracking of the safe. However, firemen discount this belief, stating that such an explosion would not start a fire even if very inflammable materials were in the immediate vicinity of the explosion.
M.F. Crooks, manager of the local department store, this afternoon refused to give any indication of the damage to the stock. He also refused to state the exact amount of money which was left untouched by the robbers. All money of the Saturday night business was locked in the safe. Mr. Crooks yesterday afternoon stated that nothing definite could be given out until appraisals of the Efird chain stores arrived in this city. Asked if $50,000 would cover the loss, he stated that he did not believe it would be that high.
He was unable to advance any reason for the burglary. Robbers gained access to the store, it is believed, through a skylight or by prying open a fire door opening from the side of the storeroom to the roof of several store building on Washington Street. Once inside the building, the yeggmen, who left all the earmarks of being professionals, tied a rope from the window in order that they might quickly slide to safety, had they been interrupted.
The cracking of the safe appears to be the work of professional crooks rather than amateur burglars. The robbers drilled a small hole in the rear of the building and in the rear of the safe, which was located in the rear of the building and on the second floor. Once the small hole was drilled, it is believed that the robbers inserted some high explosive in the safe, which caused the blowing of a large hole in the rear center of the safe, which caused the blowing of a large hole in the rear center of the safe. The hole was just about large enough for a hand to be inserted in the safe.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, July 3, 1923
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