Looking Back to July 1930: Burglars blow big steel safe at Mercantile
This look back at Paso Robles history comes from local newspapers in the Paso Robles Area Historical Society collection. News for this column is selected with the assistance of Research Director Jan Cannon. Newspaper photography by GiGi Green.
Excerpts from the Thursday, July 31, 1930, Paso Robles Spotlight:
Three experienced men handled safe blowing
Guns prepared. Burglars prepare to resist arrest by loading guns in hardware department
Climaxing an epidemic of robberies in the past two weeks, Paso Robles Mercantile was entered late Sunday night and the safe blown with nitroglycerine in one of the most daring burglaries the city has known. The loss was set at $1455 by William Classen, who estimated that the loot included silver, $455 in currency, and $600 in checks.
Entrance was made at the rear of the building by scaling the high board fence and breaking through two doors to gain admittance to the store. The huge safe was then dropped to the floor with blankets as protection against noise, and the door blown open after nitroglycerine had been poured into the door.
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Experienced Men
The burglary was not the work of amateurs, according to officers who inspected the careful detail in which the robbery was carried out. The amount of nitroglycerine was sufficient to blow open the doors, yet it is doubtful whether the muffled explosion was heard by a single person.
Three shotguns from the hardware store were also loaded and placed at points of vantage in the building, evidencing the determination of the criminals to fight it out in case of detection, or that they were left as a bluff on the departure to mislead officers on the type of criminals involved. It is believed that both outside criminals and county men were involved as the burglar indicated thorough familiarity with the Mercantile building.
The robbery is thought to have occurred between 11 and 12 p.m., as William Classen, Jr. and Carl Taylor turned on the night lights between 9:30 and 10 p.m., and Frank Classen and his father were in the building at 10:30. The robbery was discovered first by Charles Watts of the hardware department who saw the wrecked safe when he started to work at 7 a.m. Monday. He immediately notified Constable Harman Anderson who inspected the office and then called Sheriff Lowery’s force.
Have hot tips
Officers were unable to find a single clue to the burglars from inspection of the office as gloves were worn to prevent the telltale fingerprints. Later this week, however, a definite trail was picked up and officers are hopeful that arrests will be forthcoming.
Sheriff Lowery is convinced that the Mercantile burglary was committed by the same crew that blew up the Mission Laundry safe in San Luis Obispo and is practically certain that the burglars are the ones who entered five residences and the Farmers’ Alliance Warehouse in Paso Robles. The latter might have been committed by rank amateurs but the same experience was indicated in the two safe burglaries.
It was believed earlier this week that night watchman Andrew Garmain and an employee of the Service Garage had heard the safe explosion at 10:40, but Mrs. E.C. McAlear reported that a tire blew out near the Hi-Way Hotel at exactly that time and she watched the motorist change his tire. Garmain walked down to the Service Garage on hearing the explosion and returned through the alley back of the Mercantile without seeing anything suspicious.
Classen appreciative
William Classen was in San Francisco on business when notified of the burglary and promptly added a new safe to his list of purchases. He expressed appreciation on his return for the efficient work of the officers and also for the splendid spirit of customers, many of whom stopped payment on the checks stolen and issued new checks to the Mercantile.
Classen reports that the Mercantile was frequently robbed prior to 1922 and a night watchman was killed in 1920 following a burglary, but the institution had not been disturbed since the erection of the rear fence.
Read previous Looking Back articles
- Looking Back to 1940: Youthful 14-year-old charged with murder
- Looking Back to 1956: Meeting sets fair plans, Monterey Co. agrees to Nacimiento roads
- Looking Back to 1940: Young girl found beaten to death at Descanso school
- Looking Back to 1950: Water expansion banned, local has Grand Canyon adventure
- Looking Back to 1935: Big names featured at rodeo, 72 graduate high school
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