Homemade burglar alarm

In 1959, Russell Neff owned Russell’s Marine and Sporting Goods store at 392 University Av., St. Paul.

His last task when he closed up shop Wednesday was to rig up his burglar alarm.

He removed the receiver of his telephone and dialed all but one digit in his home telephone number. He then dialed the final digit, inserted a cork in the dial hole to keep the mechanism from returning and completing the connection.

Four strings were tied to the cork and strung at ankle level to different parts of the store.

At 2:15 a.m. Neff’s telephone roused him from a sound sleep. He lifted the receiver and heard noises, dressed and drove six blocks to a service station at Lexington and Larpenteur Avs., where he called police.

Three squad cars and a cruiser converged on the scene, surrounded the store and entered... Officers found $8.80 in cash in Simberg’s pocket which they said was taken from a cash register. Three rifles were found on the floor with the pair. Two more rifles had been removed from a gun rack.

As reported in the Mpls Star Tribune, Nov 5, 1959.