The Safe-Crackers Caught at Breakfast
After robbing a Seattle safe with a loud explosion, two burglars were tracked by a U.S. Marshal to a hollow near Snohomish, where they were found cooking their morning meal alongside their loot.
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.
Two burglars, who robbed the safe of Packard & Son, getting away with notes and currency estimated at $400 in all, were captured. Entry was made through a window and the safe exploded with gunpowder, blowing the front door off. The burglary occurred at midnight. The safe belonged to the Pacific Boiler Co.'s agents. When the burglars fled, U.S. Marshal Hamilton was informed. He started on the trail this morning and found the burglars one mile from West Coast junction. He asked a farmer if he had seen men of rough character. The farmer answered in the affirmative. The Marshal hurried on about half a mile and found the men in a hollow. When he came upon them, they were sitting and preparing a breakfast of eggs and bacon. When covered by the Marshal’s revolver, the men surrendered. Gold and bank notes were found tucked inside their boots, and notes and jewelry were on their persons. The Marshal brought the men to the junction and they will be taken to Seattle on the train this evening.
“When covered by the Marshal’s revolver, the men surrendered. Gold and bank notes were found tucked inside their boots.”
In 1888, the U.S. Marshal’s office in Seattle played a direct role in policing local property crimes, a task now handled by the SPD. The route to Snohomish has transformed from a wilderness trail where one might be surprised at breakfast into the high-speed corridors of the modern I-5 and SR-9 commuter belt.
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