Letter Written to W. G. Norris, President of Norris Safe & Lock Co. Describing an Attempted Bank Burglary at State Bank of Tremonton

Handwritten letter on 4 pages measuring 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". With the letterhead "Hotel Utah, Salt Lake City, Under the Management of Geo. O. Relf." The letter is dated February 19, 1913.

The author writes:

"Dear Sir,

"Complying with your request as regards attempted Bank Burglaries in this Territory. The last one occurred about one month ago. At Tremonton the "State Bank of Tremonton" This is a small town 25 miles north of Ogden. The bank had just located a new building and was ready to move in. They were using an old plate safe. But we sold them a new Manganese. The new safe was in the vault of the new bank, while the old safe remained in the old building and vault. The bank had acknowledged they would move on Monday. On Sunday night the Burglers [sic] entered the old Bank and blew the old safe. But the Saturday evening previous the Cashier had transferred all the money to the new safe. So the yeggmen did not secure a cent and all the damage they did was to put the old safe out of use. The only other attempts I know of in the past six months was on a bank at Midvale Ut. and Murray Ut both small town south of Salt Lake about 15 and 25 miles. In both cases all they did was to punch the lock off the vault door. There was no attempt on either safe and the yeggs got nothing.

"I presume you have heard of the First National at St. Anthony being entirely burned out as also the Commercial Bank at Burley, Id.

"Yours very truly, (?)" A letter with interesting content describing early twentieth century attempts at breaking open safes in small Utah towns which leave the yeggmen empty handed in the end. The letter is addressed to Mr. W. G. Norris of Seattle, WA. William G. Norris was president of Norris Safe & Locke Co., which was a seller of safes. In 1904 the business occupied one of the first-floor storefronts of the Estabrook building at 1336 2nd Avenue. Perhaps Mr. Norris had queried the author of the letter as to how his safes were withstanding the occasional burglaries of the times.