100 years ago in Spokane: Cat burglars broke into a downtown luxury store through the ceiling

Daring cat burglars lowered themselves via rope from a downtown roof, broke open a second-story window and made off with $3,000 of men’s clothing from the Wentworth Clothing Co.

Police were searching for some well-dressed suspects. They absconded with 24 men’s suits, 33 silk shirts, 40 pairs of cuff links, 71 pairs of silk socks, 15 leather belts, four overcoats, 12 suits of silk underwear and “one black walrus handbag.”

The burglars apparently hoisted the stolen goods back up to a neighboring roof with a rope. Police found tracks of three men in the snow. They apparently made their way down to a waiting auto.

The burglars struck about midnight and had plenty of time to do their work. They removed all of the labels from the items and left them in the store.

“The burglars are probably old hands and knew where they would have the best chance of making a good haul with the minimum amount of risk,” said a detective.

From the tax beat: The second floor lobby of Spokane’s federal building was jammed with people waiting in line to pay their income taxes.

Returns were “pouring in by the bushelful.”

More than 500 returns were received during the early morning rush and Internal Revenue officials worked straight through lunch hour.

One woman arrived from Harrington and realized she had left home without her return.

She asked if she had sufficient time to go back to Harrington and get it.

“If the snow’s not too deep and you can get through, you probably will be able to make it,” an agent told her.