The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-11-26
Trensury kobbcries.
THE REPORT OF GEN. SPINNER-THE
STOLEN PACKAGES.

STOLEN PACKAGES.
[From the Washington Chronice.]
Our readers will remember that during the
present year the Treasury of the United States
has twice been robbed Of greenbacks. the par
ticulars OF which, as far as could be ascertain
ed at the time of the occurrence, being pub
lished in the Chronicle. As the robbery is of
interest to the general public, we print the
following extract from Treasurer Spinner's
report to the Secretary of the Treasury, bear
ing on the note robbery" On Saturday, the
11th day of June last, an uncount9d package
of 1000 new United States $40 notes, num-
bered consecutively from II 3,530,001 to ii 3 :
532, 900, both inclusive, was stolen from the
Division of Issues, where it had been delivered
from the Division of Engraving and Printing,
to be counted and conveyed into the Treasury
Two strangers had been about the halls OF the
Treasury building for several days. On the
day mentioned the wife of prominent resi-
dent of this city, with her young son and two
relatives-a gentleman and his wife, residents
of Western city-were passing from the
upper door of the long room, where the money
packages were filed on table to be counted.
The first named lady and the chief of the di.
vision were well acquainted, and as she came
to the open door they saluted and recognized
each other, she with her friends naturally ad .
the manner of the robbery is, that the two
strangers were in the hall watching for just
such an opportunity TO act the part they had
been rehearsng. When the party entered
the room, one of the thieves forced himself
between the lady who led the way and her
friends. They Immediately entered into con-
versation with Mr.. Root, the chief of the di.
vision, making all manner of inquiries in re-
gard to the manufacture, receipt, and count
inn of bn on1 tba aftpr 1isnncitipn
made of them. Mr.. Root supposed him to be
of his friends party, and was thrown entirely
offEis guard. The lady in turn, from his ap
parently familiar manner, supposed him to
be particular friend of Mr.. Root. The lady
and her friends walked down the length OF
the rooms, passing all the counters, and pass
ed out into the hall at the furthest door. The
principal thief, in the meantime, held Mr..
Root in conversation, and gradually drew him
up to the table where the money-packages
were piled up. Here he managed so to place
Mr.. Root as to make him screen to cut Off
the view of a female clerk whose duty it was
to keep an eye on the money. Mr.. Roots
body was interposed between her and the
packages.
The principal thief now diverted Mr..
Roots attention by pointing to the party
leaving the room, and saying, my friends are
going; 1 must 60 too" and at the moment
eOVh lhC pdSAdSC Win lCit manu- gnu
threw it under his right arm. Thief No 2.
now quietly left the room by the same door
through which he entered. The packages of
ali the denominations of United States treas
ury notes contain each two thousand notes.
Each package is just the length and breadth
of single note, and the 1000 notes make
package little over six inches high.
HOW THE THIEF ENTERED.
The principal thief came into the room
holding large Panama hat by the rim, with
the lapel of his large sack coat over his right
breast, and thus he continued to carry it un-
til he left the room. The package was effect
ually hidden under his hat and coat. Pack
ages of $40 notes were lying side by side with
packages containing $4,000 notes, but the
thies, being obliged TO keep his eyes upon Mr..
Root, inadvertently took one of the lesser
packages, because he could not look at them
to tell the difference.
The money was missed within the hour
that it was taken, but there was at that time
no suspicion that it had been stolen. The
theory then was that it had not been receiv-
ed from the Printing Division, and all inyes-
tigation for that and part of the next day
was made under that suppositlon.