The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-09-09
Bold and Successful Robbery.
Safes of the Board OF Missions and
Methodist Book Concern ROBBED.
$l5o,oOO CARRIED AWAY.

New YORK, Sept. l 1870
Yesterday morning it was discovered that
the great safes in the rooms of the Board Of
Mission and OF the Methodist Book Concern,
No. sos Broadway, had been robbed and prop
erty to the amount Of Sl50,000 carried away
On ontoring the room in the morning a scene
of confusion presented itself; tho floor was
thickly strewn with papers, large leather wal
lets and bill books and here and there tin box
forced open and emptied of its contents.-
Among many papers thrown about the room
were found TO be q large number of registered
U. S. Bonds. No clue to the perpetrator or
perpetrators of the robbery seemed to present
itself to any of the Reverend Secretaries. On
examination the safes were found to be emptied
of everything Of negotiable value, including
a service of silver pate belonging to Rev. Mr..
Depew, and other articles of silver ware the
property of clergymen who have used the
facilities offered by the two large safes as a
sort OF safe deposit. Some small wallets con-
tanned the savings Of 4 life time OF frugality
aud economy, by the humble parish preachers
and others and larger ones were well filled with
tine surplus accumulations of fortunate and
fashionable prelates. Such of the bonds as
were registered were quietly thrown on the
floRr and those which were payable to bearer,
were invariably removed. The largest single
loser is one of the Secretaries of the Missionary
Board who was robbed of $4,000. It seems
very strange to q casual observer that the rob
berry should have been successfully performed
by any one not well acquainted with the range
ments and familiar with the places. There are
two night watchmen, one outside of the build
| ing and one on the inside, and only persons
having rooms on the floor with the exception
| of an artist and one other person, are church.
men connected with some of the many Metho-
dist concerns. The money of the Society was
| deposited in different places, and that of the
Book Concern was in a safe III another part OF
| the building. 1t is therefore only individuals
who lose now, though that loss may be almost
| irTeparable to them, and sweep away the saw
ings of the best part of their lives. The of.
| ticals of the Book Concern are very roticent
and stated to reporter yesterday that they
| did not choose to disclose anything in regard
to the affair for publication at the present time
and that they have been advised by detective,
| to withhold all information for some days t
come. They also demanded the suppression O
| the above statement. There is some reason tt
suspect that if the robbery was perpetrated By
parties not in the employ of the Book Concern
| it was accomplished by expert burglars, a
they were shrewd enough not to appropriate
| any of the registered U. 5. bonds. A rathe
strange circumstance of the depreciation is tina
the safes were in nowise injured, but wer
opened with keys, and as they were fitted witt
| combination locks, to open them the thieve
must have obtained combination numbers o
characters. The safes are of Marvin's make
and are considered first class OF their kind
The robbery of the Methodist Book Con
cern safes was effected on Tuesday evening
by burglars who entered the building by mean
of false keys, and after an unsuccessful attemp
on the safe of the Book Concern containing
usually 100000 III notes, bonds and silve
ware, succeeded in opening q small safe, fror
which they obtained about $500 cash and bond
amounting to 900 Jersey City war loan, tn
property OF J. G. Durbin of Jersey City. TIL
| Methodist officials decline any assistance fron
the police or detectives in ferreting out tn
| thieves