Retrospect: Burglars ransacked post office

Fifty years ago this week, burglars broke in to Portland’s Post Office but did little more than leave a mess behind.

Janitor Delbert “Buss” Arnold discovered the break-in when he arrived at 4:45 a.m., The Commercial Review reported on Nov. 16, 1967.

“As soon as I opened the back door I saw papers all over the floor,” said Arnold. “I just turned around, locked the door and headed for the police station. The police officers came right over.”

But when officers arrived, the burglars were gone. Postmaster Ray Elliott said he believed they left the building through the same door at the southeast corner of the basement that they had broken through to enter.

“They apparently ran when Buss came to the door,” said Elliott. “They had plenty of time to escape since opening the back door involved undoing a chain. That takes time and makes a lot of noise.”

He added that the burglars attempted to get into the building by bending the top of a metal door, but in the process the padlock snapped and allowed them entrance. They had pried open cash drawers, rummaged through some mail and ransacked Elliott’s office. They also attempted, but failed, to open the post office vaults.

Portland police believed the break-in happened sometime after 3 a.m., when officer Larry Robbins had passed by the building and noticed nothing unusual.

The burglars did little more than leave a mess behind. The most valuable items known to be taken were two watches that were removed from a package. Elliott noted the only thing taken from his office was a sack of candy.

“The damage was not nearly as bad as we thought it was going to be,” Elliott said. “There is almost no loss at all on stock, and there appears to be little or no mail missing. The inconvenience of re-inventorying is our biggest loss.”