Burglars Cut Through Town Hall Safes and Steal Over $13,000 in Norwood Treasurer’s Office-October 27, 1969

$360,000 Deposit Narrowly Saved Prior to Sophisticated Friday Night Heist

In a bold weekend break-in, burglars broke into the Norwood Town Treasurer’s office on Friday night, using heavy cutting equipment to slice through three one-inch-thick steel safes and escaping with more than $13,000 in cash. Town Treasurer officials noted that a catastrophic financial loss was narrowly avoided because a massive $360,000 deposit had been safely processed and transferred to the bank shortly before the burglary occurred.

Assistant Treasurer Joseph McDonough examined the destroyed, empty safes alongside investigating police officers over the weekend (captured in a photograph by Kenneth F. McLean). While the thieves made off with the cash currency, investigators found approximately $50,000 in stolen checks discarded inside the town building.

Local official Mr. Halloran confirmed that while the cash in the treasurer’s office is covered by a $10,000 insurance policy, full accounting records remain intact to verify taxpayers and amounts paid prior to the theft.

Intruders Bypassed Security and Used Water to Cool Sliced Safes

Investigators determined that the burglars gained entry to the town building through a secluded route on the Washington Street side of the property. The intruders cut out a section of window glass leading into Memorial Hall, hidden behind dense bushes. Halloran noted that the town building is not protected by a centralized burglar alarm, although a dedicated alarm line connected directly to the police station is located in his office.

The physical evidence inside the treasurer’s office revealed a methodical operation:

• Safe Cutting Technique: Police discovered two fire extinguishers and an empty wastebasket next to the damaged safes.
• Cooling Method: Detectives believe the burglars filled the wastebasket and fire extinguishers with water to continually cool the steel boundaries and hinges as they cut open the three safes.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger