100 Years Ago, 1926 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Blindfold, bind man, blow safe. Thousands of dollars secured at Strouss-Hirshberg store by daylight robbers. Check-up being made. Three men in gang, watchman says – was handcuffed to rack.”

“Three yeggmen who blew open the Strouss-Hirshberg department store’s safe in broad daylight Sunday morning stole thousands of dollars after blindfolding the day watchman and handcuffing him to an iron rack in the basement….

“T.V. Byers told the officers that he relieved Henry Hall, the night watchman, at six a.m. Sunday, and shortly afterward the call bell on the outside of the Hazel St. employee’s entrance rang.

“When he went to the entrance the door was thrown open and he was grabbed by two men, taken to the basement of the store, blindfolded and handcuffed to an iron rack, used for the display of clothing, after he was made to lie down on his back. A third man kept watch outside of the store.

“The two who had taken Byers into custody, then took blankets, comforters and other articles to muffle the sound of the explosions which followed.

“The men were evidently experts as they knew the proper amount of nitroglycerine to use, and left no clues. The combination of the outer door of the safe was knocked off and nitroglycerine inserted in the hole. This was touched off. The same operation was repeated on the inner doors. In muffling the explosion, clothing and other articles used, valued at about $500, were destroyed. Holes were blown in most of them, others are burned.

“A small bottle containing about a teaspoonful of nitroglycerine, fuse, wires and a ‘jimmy’ were left behind.

“The thieves took plenty of time to sort out all the checks and took nothing but money….

“The jar of the explosion set the fire alarm on the first floor to ringing, and this added to the apprehension of Byers, who feared that the yeggmen had set fire to the building to cover up their work. The alarm rang for several minutes and then ceased.

“He struggled until after noon before he finally got his feet braced against a steam pipe and by sheer physical force tore the iron rack to which he was cuffed from its mooring on the floor….

“Byers gave a partial description of two of the men, but did not see the third man, who was on guard outside. He said they appeared to be well dressed, evidently Americans. They spoke very little, however. Both, he said, were between 35 and 40 years of age….

“They were evidently familiar with the layout of the store, and the habits of employees, for not a false move was made.

“They knew just where the secret button which operated the bell was located, the location of the safe, the iron rack to which they cuffed their victim, where to find electric connections to touch off their explosions, etc.

“The handcuffs, of an obsolete kind, could not be released from Byers’ wrist, as none of the officers had a key, so he was taken to the shop of Dominic Ruff, 21 Holmes St., where Ruff picked the lock and turned the handcuffs over to police. No physical harm was offered Byers, other than blindfolding and cuffing, he told the officers, and he was none the worse for his experience….

“The robbers were courteous to me. They were polite and even took my glasses off after I had protested placing the mask over them. They did not take the $50 I had in my coat pocket,’ said Byers.”

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