Published: May 07, 2008 04:36 pm            

Yesterday In Newton: Burglaries in Newton 1966-1967 Part II

NEWTON — It appears that the Sunflower Food Store on Scanlan Street was destined to be a target for thieves. The store was burglarized in 1966 and 1967, each time it was in December.

The first burglary took place on a Saturday night, December 17, 1966. Robert J. Cochran, owner and manager, discovered the burglary early Sunday morning.

An undetermined amount of groceries was taken by the thieves, transported from the back of the store to a vehicle by means of a four-wheeled flat cart. The cart, an axe and a three foot bar were left east of the supermarket at a narrow road near the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio railroad.

Sheriff Hubert Valentine and Chief of Police Parks Wilson investigated and reported that the burglars broke the lock on the east at the at the storage shed, entered, and broke a hole about two feet square in the concrete block wall leading into the main building. They attempted to dig through the north wall but struck a double wall. The safe was not opened.

The desk in the office was rifled through and the framed “First Dollar” of the business was stolen.

On Sunday night, December 1, 1967 the store was burglarized in the amount of $2,500 according to Ray Cochran, manager. The burglary occurred between 6 p.m. Sunday when he turned off lights and Monday morning when Charles Thompson’s employees discovered the burglary as he opened for business.

Sheriff Hubert Valentine and local police were investigating the theft and reported at the time The Newton Record went to press. They had no clue at the time, except that the robbing the year before was made in a similar manner. They were more successful in this robbery and theft. Professionals were believed to be the perpetrators.

The thieves entered the building by tearing open the outside east door to the room which housed the electric motors, using tools to knock out a hole in the wall large enough to crawl through. Inside the building, a number of cases of peaches had to be moved before they were able to gain entry to the main building.

The huge 1,000 pound safe was put on a four wheel cart and moved to the northeast corner of the store near the meat counter. There the culprits proceeded to cut and mutilate the vault, scattering money drawers, with checks untouched over the floor. Heavy instruments were used to beat the concrete from the money vault. The steel money vault and currency were carried away.

Fingerprint experts from Jackson were brought in for the investigation.

This Sunflower Food Store was located where Griff’s Big G Market is today.

Information came from The Newton Record, December 1966 and December 1967.

        

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