The Topic Saloon Pipe Heist
Two men were arrested after an early morning smash-and-grab at a downtown saloon’s outdoor cigar showcase.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Frank Williams and T. S. Farley were arrested on suspicion at an early hour this morning by patrolmen Angus and Brady. Farley had four valuable gold-decorated pipes which he was attempting to sell. A half-hour after the arrest, the Topic saloon notified the police that someone had broken into its cigar and pipe showcase and stolen a number of expensive pipes. The saloon man was summoned to the station and identified the pipes as his property. The showcase was in front of the saloon, and was locked. A sharp instrument had been inserted in the edge and the lock broken. The pipes were valued at $20. The two men denied stealing the pipes, but will face a charge of petit larceny in Judge Arntson's court this afternoon.
“The showcase was in front of the saloon, and was locked. A sharp instrument had been inserted in the edge and the lock broken.”
Petty theft and storefront security remain a persistent tension for Tacoma business owners, echoing a time when a $20 loss of inventory from a street-facing showcase was enough to warrant immediate police intervention and court appearances.
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