125 Years Ago, 1901 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Safe crackers fail to open vault at Farmers’ National Bank in Canfield. A daring deed. Powerful charge of Nitroglycerine failed to do the desired work. The explosion heard by Ensign Lynn, who aroused the citizens – the burglars tracked as far as Salem.”

“Special to the Vindicator. Canfield, Feb. 27. – A daring but unsuccessful attempt was made to blow open the vault of the Farmers’ National Bank, at this place, at 12:30 this morning.

“The prompt action of Ensign Lynn, the druggist, in notifying the townspeople, after he had heard an explosion, saved the bank from a large loss.

“It was exactly 12:30 o’clock, Mr. Lynn says, when he was awakened by the sound of an explosion. He hurried to a window and saw a man standing in front of the bank. He at once made up his mind that something was wrong and he proceeded to call up everybody he could reach by telephone and have them arouse their neighbors and get after the safe blowers. While he looked out of the window, the lookout for the safe crackers saw him for a while Mr. Lynn was at the telephone, three men passed his store and looked in the window. They were followed almost immediately by a fourth man, carrying a big bag of tools. The quartette knew that the explosion had been heard and they took to their heels, going towards the Erie station. Meantime citizens gathered in large numbers and decided to give chase while the telegraph and telephone wire were kept busy notifying the police authorities surrounding towns….

“The explosive that was used was nitroglycerine, improvising a cup for it just over the combination, by using soap. The iron covering of the outside door was badly ripped and the time lock broken, but the inside door save for being slightly sprung was not affected. The explosion, Mr. Lynn says, could be heard distinctly for quite a distance and many citizens heard it. Knowing that the explosion was heard, the burglars took no further chance and got away. The track of their sled was followed by a committee of citizens, who engaged in the chase, for about three-quarters of a mile, on the road toward Salem. They at once returned to the city and notified the marshal at Salem, that the burglars were bound for that place and to be on the lookout for them. He was evidently tired or sleepy or both, however for the men were seen in a Salem restaurant at 4 o’clock this morning and no attempt to arrest them was made. That they were the men who attempted to crack the safe, is known from the fact that they drove into Salem in a sled and shortly after securing their breakfast continued on their journey. The people here regard the failure of the Salem marshal to capture these felloes as gross negligence. He had been notified in ample time and could have called out such assistance as he needed.

“While, fortunately, nothing was secured at the bank, yet the people here are greatly excited over the occurrence. That the men who attempted last night’s job are professionals is regarded as certain by those who visited the bank and whose investigation has caused them to know something of the movements of the burglars. It is sincerely hoped that the men will be captured, though the fact that they got through Salem as they did is regarded as extremely unfortunate.”

• Compiled by Dante Bernard, museum educator at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society