This Day in History: 1937-02-11
A series of robberies dating back several months were solved when an 8th grade student at the Mahwah School led police to a cave he and two friends had dug in the back of the Mahwah Cemetery. The three youths had broken into the school six times since October 21st each time taking small objects and sums of money. They dug the cave to hold the objects they had taken. It took them about a week to burrow out the cave which they entered through a dirt-covered trap door. The case was broken when one of the boys was seen with a knife which had been taken from the school. They later confessed to the entries into the school and to the ransacking of the home of Mrs. Sydney Hall on Mahwah Road. They obtained entrance to the Hall home by breaking a window in the basement. They used an axe to break down the door to the main part of the house stole jewels, tools and the oil burner thermostat and carved words on a table top with the points of their knives.
The three boys, the oldest of whom was 14, were released on their own recognizance pending charges of juvenile delinquency. All three lived on Island Road.
(Bristow)