The Day the Streets of Tacoma Went Dark
Burglars cut through the rear door of the city's post office in the Masonic Block, only to be foiled by a vigilant night watchman who heard the glass shatter.
BURGLARY AT THE POSTOFFICE.
Burglars attempted to enter the post office, in the Masonic block, early this morning. Their movements awakened the watchman in the building, who frightened them and frustrated their design.
A large round angular hole had been cut in the glass of the rear door, just above the lock, before the watchman was awakened, and in a few minutes more the burglars would have been successful. Had entrance been obtained, a large amount of stamps and considerable coin might have been secured.
This 1904 burglary attempt at the Tacoma Post Office highlights the vulnerability of civic infrastructure before modern security systems. It’s a stark reminder that even essential public services were once left open to opportunistic crime, relying entirely on the vigilance of individual night watchmen rather than electronic alarms or surveillance cameras.
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