A bold attempt at burglary on South Poindexter Street was made Tuesday night when thieves got in the office of Zimmerman & Company, millers, and battered the combination on the office safe. The combination was so badly wrecked with a cold chisel that it took a blacksmith to open the safe, and Mr. Zimmerman had to order a new safe.
Having failed to get into Mr. Zimmerman’s safe, the burglar carried off four packages of Mr. Zimmerman’s “Old Virginia” cheroots, and two in a broken package. About two dollars worth of postage stamps and one or two cold chisels belonging to the plant were also missing.
On the same night an attempt at burglary was made by forcing the windows of the garage operated by W.T. Deans, across the street from the Zimmerman mill. It may have been the intentions of the burglar to steal an automobile from the garage, but the cars in the garage were not in running shape, and nothing of value was missed.
The next account of the depredations of the thieves comes from Brown’s Restaurant, a negro eating house back of Deans’ garage. No money was taken from the restaurant. It may have been that a hearty meal was the only thing desired by the burglar.
Mr. Zimmerman says he has no idea as to who the burglars might have been, other than that the damage to his safe appeared to have been done by a grown-up who knew the business of opening safes, and who was probably scared off.
That such attempts at robbery have been made in Elizabeth City this week should be a warning to many housekeepers who leave their doors unlocked at night, or when they are away from home, especially since the attempts were made within three blocks of the Bee Hive Steps, where the night police force stands watch over the town.
From The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Friday, Dec. 7, 1923. A cheroot is a type of cigar with both ends clipped during manufacture.
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