Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-12-01
From the Dubuque Herald, Nov. 25th.
The ElOyd COuntv ROhhePv Case.

AAC rAVJo NVuusy nVVUSAy S0oSs
On the night of the 9th of June last
the Office of the Treasurer of Floyd
County, at Charles City, was entered,
the safe door blown open, and about four
thousand dollars of county and individ-
ual funds distracted. The first known
of the robbery was on the morning OF
the 18th of June, when the Office was
opened by one Of the clerks. Every
thing then was found In the greatest
confusion, papers scattered abo.t the
floor as though having been blown
nearly across the room, and every other
indication of burglarious visit, hasty
search, and retreat. At first there SEEM
ed to be no clue by which to discover
the robbers. The tools used had been
stolen from a mill near by, no traces
were left to indicate who the guilty
parties might be, and the whole COM
munity was at q loss to conjecture where
the guilt might rest. Mr.. Huntley, the
Treasurer, determined, however, toleave
no stone unturned in his search for the
burglars. He promptly sent to Chicago
for an experienced detective, and Cap
tain Yates, of that city, as promptly
answered his call. TO him everything
was clear at q glance. The Office had
not been entered from the window, as
at first supposed, in consequence of its
having been pried open, for books and
papers piled against it on the inside had
been undisturbed, and the marks on
the window showed that they were made
to deceive, in subsequent investigation,
and not to open the window. The door
had therefore been unlocked in effect
| ing an entrance, and upon the retreat of
the burglars had been carefully relOck-
ed. The door of the safe had not been
blown open with powder, but had been
unlocked, the money taken out, the
door then pried Off and afterwards
blown up with charge of powder
Upon the floor was found piece of pa
per which had evidently been used as
tunnel for conducting the charge of
powder into the safe door. This piece
of paper was the wrapper used upon 3
bundle of paper which was always kept
in the safe. The papers themselves re-
manned in the safe. Clearly the door,
the lock (which by the way was sprung
back when first examined after the rob-
berry, had been unlocked and this paper
tunnel taken from the safe before the
door was blown up. Besides this evil
dence of the fact, the tools found in the
room showed by marks on them that
they had been used to pry the door off
after it had been opened. Much more
testimony of this kind was abduced to
show that the robbery had been COM
door of the office and to the safe.
AT the time Of the robbery Mr.. A. L.
Collins was employed by the Treasurer
as his clerk, and had the keys to the Of
flee and safe. Circumstances of the
strongest character seemed to point to
him as the guilty party, and the grand
jury finally, though with apparent re-
luctance, commenced an investigation
which resulted in the finding of bill
of indictment against him. A special
term Of the District Court of Bremen
county had been appointed to be held
at Waveriy on the 18th of the present
month, and Mr.. Collins. claiming that
the prejudice of the people of Floyd
county against him would defeat q fair
trial, asked that change of venue be
granted him to Bremen. The applica-
ton was granted and the trial came Off
at Waverly last week, resulting, on
Tuesday morning of this week in ver-
dict of guilty and sentence by the
Judge to the penitentiary for five years.
| "A. l.. Collins was one of the first set
tiers of Floyd county, was the second
Judge of the county, and is at present
the Chairman of the Board of Supervis-
ors. He was the last man who should
have been guilty of this crime. 1t will
be remembered that soon after the in
vestigation made by Captain Yates, we
stated that prominent citizen of Floyd
county was suspected of the robbery,
and that the evidence against him was
very strong but that we were not at
liberty to give the source of our infor-
nation, nor the name Of the suspected
party. The Charles City InteHigencer
the organ of the Republican party in
Floyd county, and of A. l.. Collins, the
Supervisors, Immediately contradicted
our statement and waxed indignant
| We need scarcely say that we referred
to the protege of the InteNigencer, A.
T.. Collins, and the result Of his trial
! has established the truth of our asser-
| ton. We more than suspect that the
InteUigencer knew as much, or more,
of the matter as we did, and was will
ing that justice should be defeated that
its party might not suffer.
In connection with this case there ia
another matter which deserves q more
thorough ventilation than our space
will at present admit. Mr. l.. l.. Hunt.
ly, it is well known, was before the
robbery, and has been since, a candi-
date for the Office of Assessor of this
that Mr.. Huntley's chances for success
| in obtaining the appointment were SUI
| perior to those of other candidates in
fact he had received a pledge from the
controlling power that he should re-
ceive the appointment. But the rob-
| berry was seized upon by his rivals "a
their opportunity for his defeat. AL
though members of the same party, not
withstanding his character had always
been above reproach, and his integrity
had never been doubted, these office
seekers fastened to join hands with the
defenders of Collins, that by the union
they might secure Huntley's defeat,
The friends of Collins, to clear him
from the robbery; attempted to cast
Hantley's rivals for the Office Sf Asses s
sor were quite willing to aid them in so
doing that Mr.. Huntly might be got
out of their way. Stories, starting or
iginally with Collins, and eagerly cir
culated with additions by his allies in
this city and elsewhere, of Mr.. Hunt
! Iey's being defauiter, insolvent, and
even whispers that he connived at the
robbery, were most industriously put
afioat. 1t was said that the truth of
these would be establish on the trial of
Collins, but the complete failure to
make them even a part of the defense,
shows that they were unfounded in
fact from the very first, and only used
by Mr.. Huntley's enemies for his injury
The smiling face and evident gratifica-
ton with which the story was circulat-
ed, the other day, by one of these APP
plicants for the Office of Assessor, that
Collins had been cleared by proving
Mr.. Huntly guilty, discloses the ant
mus moving these "loyal" gentleman
in their defense of Collins and defama-
ton of Mr.. Huntley.
Albert l.. Collins has been convicted
by an impartial jury ofhis countrymen,
after receiving the assistance of the
ablest legal counsel in the State, and
having been proved guilty we mnst ac-
cept the verdict as the truth, and pro-
nounce the sentence of the court just
Towards him we have no other feeling
than that of pity because he was too
weak to resist the temptation to COM
NIT great crime. For those who
wonId nayr .ncreeneG aim from merited