This story of the overnight robbery of Thomas A. Hensel‘s clothing store at the main square, Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, is from the Lykens Standard, December 14, 1906. The story also included the layout of the three floors of the Israel Building, the Hensel store being on the first floor, one apartment and offices on the second floor, and lodge rooms on the third floor.
HENSEL’S CLOTHING STORE ROBBED
On Wednesday morning when T. A. Hensel went to open up his clothing store at the northeast corner of Main and Market Streets [Lykens], he noticed that the curtains on the Market Street side of the building, which were left up when he closed the store the evening previous, were down, and was at a loss to account for it. The store, which is located in the Israel Building, fronts on Main Street and extends back along Market Street about 80 feet. The rear portion of the second story is laid out in a flat and is occupied by Mr. Nestor and family, while the front portion is used for office purposes. The entire third floor is occupied by Ashlar Lodge, F. and A. M. Overholser’s Tobacco Store adjoins the building on the North, and next to that on the corner of the alley, is Collier’s Marble Yard. Back of these two places is sufficient vacant ground for a driveway from the alley to the rear of the store building.
Mr. Hensel always went around to the Market Street side of the building in the morning to enter his store, and in going to the door at the rear part of the building noticed the curtains down as before stated. On entering the store he found empty fur boxes, etc., scattered around and the piles of clothing on tables in the various departments disarranged. Investigation revealed the fact that the store had been looted during the night and clothing, shoes, overcoats, jewelry, ladies’ muffs, furs, etc., to the amount of about $800, stolen. Entrance was gained to the store by boring a large hole through a shutter at the north end of the building and then inserting a mining pick in the opening and springing the fastenings, after which the work of raising the window was an easy matter. The pick and auger were found in the driveway back of the store near the window. That it was the work of professionals there is no doubt , and they also know what good clothing is, for they selected only the best.
There is no clue to the robbers. A bay horse hitched to a Dayton wagon was seen in the alley on the west side of Market Street by Butcher Charles Koppenhaver between 12 and 1 o’clock. Joseph Hoffman, who occupies the store on the Northwest corner of Main and Market Streets, entertained a number of friends at his store that night and between 12 and 1 o’clock they heard a team stop in the back alley of Hensel’s Store and about 15 minutes later drove away. At about that time parties going to work at the colliery say that a team going at break-neck speed passed them going up through North Lykens, and another party says that between four and 5 o’clock they passed a Dayton wagon in Paul’s Valley occupied by two strangers who were driving in the direction of Harrisburg. Instructions were phoned to the authorities of all the towns within a radius of fifty miles to be on the lookout for suspicious teams, but up to the present time there have been no developments. Mr. Hensel has offered a $100 reward for the apprehension and conviction of the robbers.
Mr. Hensel has furnished us with a list of some of the most important articles stolen, so as to caution all persons not to buy goods of this description from any one but a legitimate dealer. If they are offered for sale, he will be greatly obliged by being informed of the fact.
25 long and short furs, different colors; 6 muffs; 3 muffs and furs to match; linen handkerchiefs; *silk handkerchiefs; gold (James Brothers) filled watches; silver watches; President suspenders, with garters to match; fancy vests, small size, double breasted, blue, red and green; steel mocha lined gloves; 4 light colored leather suite cases; 2 large telescopes; ball-bearing garters; one pair steel mitts, with first finger; Way’s mufflers; 2 pair high-top clack shoes; 2 pair gun metal (George E. Keith) shoes; clack overcoats jewelry; high rubber shoes (ball band).
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News article from Newspapers.com.
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