Three Valley Stores Robbed

Published 3:00 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

A couple of coldly calculating burglars (there

may have been a third) staged a pair of daring robberies

in Snoqualmie some time around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday

(Aug. 24) and made off with merchandise and cash that

added up to about $1,400. The stores that were broken into

are the Marshall-Wells and Harding’s, with the loot

from the former running slightly higher than the amount

stolen from Harding’s.

Town Marshal Buck Adcox and County Sheriff’s office, represented by Detectives Claude Dodd

and Walter Reinder, spent the bulk of Tuesday looking

for clues that would track down what appears to be a

“Mutt and Jeff” pair of thieves.

They forced entry at the rear of Judge Hugh

Harding’s store first, and immediately stole and put on gloves

to eliminate telltale fingerprints. With the store’s lights

on, the pair methodically ransacked the dress and sports

shirt shelves, helping themselves to four dozen. The sizes

they preferred were 15 ½ with 2 sleeves and 16 with 3s.

Then they moved into the shoe department and

casually dumped shoes out in search for sizes 8 and 11. One

burglar left a battered pair of size 7s behind, and from

the run down appearance of the right shoe, this slighter

one of the pair might have a limp. When they helped

themselves to caulk boots they took sizes 9 and 10.

No Insurance Coverage

None of the women’s or children’s wear was disturbed, but they took half a dozen better grade

sports jackets, and many belts, sundry items still to be

accounted for, and about $20 in small change from the cash

There was no insurance coverage for the Harding loss; first time the store has been burglarized in 32 years.

Using the gloves picked up at Harding’s, the

same robbers moved over to Roy Anderson’s

Marshall-Wells store and removed a rear window and broke

another glass inside to enter the place. “They had to be

pretty catty on their feet,” the town marshal said, adding that

it is possible they may have been drinking because

there was a sticky touch to a lot of the items they’d handled.

Gun Supply Rifled

They went directly to the sporting goods section

and cleaned out the salt water fishing gear pretty

thoroughly, making off with the better rods and reels and dozens

of lures. They took the reels out of the boxes and left

the containers strewn on the floor. They then went to

the drawer where the new guns were stored and

removed the rifles from the boxes and loaded out a lot of

ammunition for the rifles and a pair of 12 gauge guns

they took. Among items missing was another $20 in change.

The method of operation suggests that these robbers are not kids but pretty professional in their

“work.” Several clues are being followed by the detectives,

and a panel truck with three young fellows is

tentatively linked to the case. It was seen parked near the

bakery several hours before the burglaries took place. Time

for the break-ins was established by Mrs. Fannie

Bookter who heard noise of breaking glass while she was in

her bakery at 2:30. D. Terrell also heard sounds at the

same time.

Robbery in North Bend

On Friday night, either around 11 o’clock or

early Saturday morning burglars broke into the North

Bend Supermarket and made off with a sizable haul of

coffee and five cases of beer. The loss was covered by

insurance.