Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-01-06
ARREST OF THE PHILADELPHIA CUSTOM
nOUSEeCASnlEikM N u. ALlEN


About o'clock asi evening. saYA tI,s pb;ia
delphia Ptcss uf Wedncs lay. Mr I,l,n ca.hia
OF The Custom House, was taken in,o cn.,nd.
by Messrs Thggart and George Smith ~ ~.
detective ioiee, aud locked up Tor hearing n,
Tie ehursc of being implicated IN the r.esptIy
hAls hhohn robbery at the Cuslcm lIou-u. The
amount stolen is about 1000 Of ub,ch NJ
Allen says sl0. 900 belonged 10 him. Tbo rir.
ouu''auves l fe'a.i'e u tins astounding robbery
are peculiar. There is no evidence as yet nnb.
hlly ueNtlopeu, impltuAtlug the prisoner. Tha
io"o"'nE circumstances connected with tie case
prove Interesting On Thurld.y eyening L,.,
Mr Aleu-, his wife aud Two other lados1,s,a"J ,aI'
ed theatre, aud il was rather late whom thev
reached home, on Green street. Aboye P,f,.,,.,H
II WAS lully one cluok before he retired far Inc
night, aud Consequently the robbery Of l,is t,,.,
Ms AitRsi, must haze been COMMITTED hatwssn
tna' hour ana ddybreak GU Friday morning =
lhe mode oi enlruuee To the house WA ,hrn,,h
small window IN the rear. To reach ,hat
would have required pretty long ladder. and
III order 10 gel through It vas necessary 10 open
'neuan phnu shutter md then raise the
sash Que slat had been lemoyed Tb,s w.
found III the yard. From tie Apusn,nnca oy ,l.s
shutter, the 5lat must have been pushed iuw.rIs
Ihis theory, however, teems to be wrnng u,l.s,
the window sash was raised at the time a, tha
space between 1t and the blind WAS moi "a ,.i,,s
ns tho Blat. IL was through this windo,~ 1ha,
the daring rohber entered, aud vel ao carefnI
was he tuH' even tue dust Un tue sill bore not the
snHh'tst marx The robbor must have been
NY eu'e'uh After having sntersd the rear OF
tue mousse Il was necessary 10 ''screw" a lock-
that Is, unlock Il door by means OF ninnsrs H.,
tue Key Was examined through the medium of
a mAghiylng glass, aud not a mark of ninner
testh WAS visiblO. Mr. Joseph Mirkle. co,,ata-
BILE VI the Seventh ward, who Tas eaIlnJ IN h.
Mr' Allen US M independent detective. enter.
talhs the ldea that the robber used a pieea of
ouoksk'n, winch he placed on the nippers 40 AZ
10 prevent making marx upon ths KEY.
Mr' Allen says that when hu awoke in ,hs
morning he found hls pocket book aud watch on
tue moor of his room, his pantalOons n tho bath
room, and the key OF the door under table
lie was certain some one had entered the bouse
Aud he intended to call upon the detectives wbils
GU MS way to The GustOm House hut mi. Ia
is"eu 10 40. II seems according to his own
showing lhut he kept the two Keys Ut the vAult
Ia u small leather bag aud that on retiring m
bel he placed them ON the muntelpioce. In tba
morning he started away from his residence
leaving the Keys behiud Upon entering a hard
"n,e o'Vio Oh frllhy morning for the purpose of
making some purchasers, he suddenly was ,e-
minded that he had left the keys nj homo Ha
ha'teued back, aud was pals and brealhless =
nc FOUND the Keys goHe. An leu at Ouce seized
him that the thief who had broken 80 onrefuiIv
into his housj had taken the KEYS and prob.hlv
intended to rob the vaults. This idea bo ok.
pressed to several parties in the Custom House
but they 'pooh-pOohed" such a suggestion. Ii
turned out, however, that he was right 10 his
idea. The vault had been carefully robbed
80 nolselessly did the expert robbur open the
creaking door OF the proof that two WAtchmeu.
who were awake, were not attracted by even as
much noise as mouse would make The daring
noiseless robber carefully locked the proof door
alter felouiOusy removing &9O 600 leaving ava
efal bags Of gold behind. Although ordinary
persons had TO slam the door Of The proof 40 thai
the noise could bs heard in all parts of the
building, yet the robber did the sam. opsr,t,,,
80 silently that the wutchmen were mot at all |
disturbed. Another theory set up is that there
"err al least Two lersons engaged in this rob
UerJ.
0ne Of the bold invaders OF the Custom House
mad seere;ed himself in the upper part Of the
building, and, lowering string from the win
uuW, The keys were fastened TO the end of il and
then drawn up. The spoils having been secured.
we're lowered by the same procts1 The inside
'hlef OF course remained until the Custom House
was open in the morning, when, minglug with
the bus'ness 'hrong, he passed out without ELI
citing any special attention.
After the vault had been broken into by the
looksmith, who was all day trying to pick The
lock, there were found a loaded revolver, a bot.
ile OF chlorolorm and paper Of gunpoWder.-
IL ls always considered evidence that when A
robher enters house with deadly weapon. he
means to commit murder Itmay be oonsiderpd
very strange thug that such weapon should
DC lett behind at the most important time whom
II might be needed iu defence, aud 10 keep in
security the pundvr already obtained. The
ueteotVe police think such tt bier to be a
ha'' II the ptwdVr Wus to be used IN case
oI Az inner door to the proof, It is certainly
novel IN police experience that there was no
iuse found, Gn indispensable article in safe
blowing.
II the theory set up in this case, that man
must haVe oetn secreted in the building, who
neteu IN conjunction with the outside thief, who
hau Hto.tn the key, 1t would at once be set aside
ny Tue tact that four gas lights were burning all
h'snt III ihe main room where the Batchmen
were, anu throngh which the r1bber would have
TO pass TO reach the apartment where the fire
proof was loo ued.
Inc cashier Is a brother in-ls of the collec-
tor Of the port. He was appointed to the posi
ton sestral years since. Within the last several
mouths he has made considerable amount of
IN oney IN coal oil speculaIons, which enabled
MN 70 purchase splendid house on Green
street, above Fifteenth, and furnish il to the
extent oi several thousand dollars. The Sl5 600
which he said belonged to him, and stolen from
the proof was the result OF speculation in oil.
IL seems that number Of the a.taohsa of lie
Oustom house have formed q coal oil COMPANY.
MIR. Allen being the treasurer thereof
Inc defendant will have q hearing to.dav
deerge ii Earle, Esq, having been retained a.