Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-16
Robberies at the Treasury.

Robberies at the Treasury.
Our readers will remember that during the
present year the Treasury of the United States
has twice been robbed of greenbaoks. AS the
robbery, particularly the Edwins deslcation,
is of interest. we print the following extracts
from Treasurer Spinner report to the Secre-
tary of the Treasury bearing on the two rob-
berries: ia Es-GIG ..3..-itt
% Saturday, the l1th day of June last. an
uncounteC package of two thousand new =. S.
ten dollar notes, numbered consecutively from
H, $500 O0l to H $4,000. 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 up
per door OF the long room, where the money
packages were filed on a table to be counted.
The first banned lady and the chief of the divi-
sion were we'll acquainted, and as she came to
the open door they saluted and reeopuiZ d each
other, she with her friends naturally advancing
into the room. Now the theory OF the manner
of the robbery is: that the two strangers were
in the hall watching for just such an oppor
tunity to act the part that they had been re
hearsng When the party entered the room
one OF thieves forced himself between the lady
who led the way and her friends. > They i'm
mediately entered into conversation with Mr..
Root, the chiet OF the division, making all
manner of inquiries in regard to the maDufac
ture, receipt, and counting of the notes, and
ho ctor do ot
Root supposed him to be of his friends party,
and was thrown entirely off his guard. The
lady in turn from his apparently familiar man.
ner, supposed him to be particular friend of
Mr.. Root. ss~.HHt riHf}itaaHtEff
The lady and her friends walked down the
length OF the rooms, passing all the counters.
and passed out into the hall at the furthest
door. The principal thief, 10 the meantime,
held MIR. Root 10 conversation, and gradually
drew him to the table where the money packa-
ges were piled up. Here he managed so to
place Mr. Root as to make him a screen to cut
off the view of female clerk whose duty it
was to keep an eye on the money. Mr.. Roots
body was interposed between her. and the
packages at this moment the aecompiice
came stealing into the room through the same
door from the ball, and threw himself in front
of aud partially over female messenger, who
was sitting on the opposite side watching the
money package. He made inquiry for te
male clerk, calling her by name, and, although
told there was no such person belonging to the
Office, be insisted that there was, and he per
sisted in preventing the messenger from seeing
the money long enough to allow the principal
thief the opportunity to effect his purpose.
The principal thief DOW diverted Mr.. Ruot's
attention by pointing to the party leaving the
room and saying, MY friends are going; must
20, too,'" and at the moment took the pack
age with his left hand and threw it under his
right arm. Thief No. 2 DOW quietly lett the
room by the same door through which he
entered. arn#
The packages of all the denominations of
United States Treasury notes contain each two
thousand notes. Each package is just the
length and breadth OF single note, and the
two thousand notes make package OF llstle
over six inches high. -'.'-: e., ......'
The principal thief came into the room hold
ing large panama hat by the rim, with the
lapel of bis large sack coat over his right breast
and thus be continued to carry it uotil he lett
the room. The package was efectualiy bid
den under bis hat and coat. Packages OF 500
notes were lying side by side with packages
containing $1,000 notes, but the thief being
obliged to keep his eyes upon MIR. Root mad
vertently took one of the lesser packages, be
cause he could not look at them to tell the
difference. .T!-at" Il
Mr.. Root followed his friend, accompanied
by the thiet with the money the whole length
of the room to the lowest door, out OF which
the thief passed with thanks to MIR. Root Tor
his kind attention to himse and friend.
The money was missed within the hoursthat
it was taken, but there was at that time DO
suspicion that it had been stolen. The theory
then was thar it had not been received from
the Printing Division, and all investigation tor
that and part of the next day was made un-
der that supposlt'on.
misfortune never comes single" My long
term Of over nine years immunity from loss
has ended. Mor,tying as the robbery above
detailed was to me it was bearable, because 1t
was committed by outsiders, and in a way that
would probably have succeeded With the}most
careful and cautious OF custodians. -
Not 80 with more recent, case: aOn the
morning Of the 29th Of Septenberiast charles
o. Edwins.a fourth elassaclerk 10 the division
Of redemptions- ia this Office, whose dptylt
then vas to- receive from aud recslpt. lor e,
Adams Express Company for all money pack :
ages received through that company. and 10
enter the same upon the receipt book keptfor
that purpose, voluntarily confessed to mc that
he had distracted ard applied to his own use
three money packages SO received by him, and
amounting respectively to five Thousand, TWO
thousand, and one thousand five hundred do!-
lars, being in tho aggregate eight. thousand five
hundred dollars. He at the same time sur
rendered to me various items Of value, con-
sisting of bills OF exchange on LoEdon, Bank OF
England notes, United States stocks, gord coin,
chiefly 10 Bcltisk sovereigns, passage tickets
BY steamer Erie, Tor Europe, and tickets 0
Niblo's Theater. The papers showed that he
had secured first class berths Tor himself and
wife, under the name of Fl. G. Williams, on
the steamer atore PANIED, which had sailed for
England the day before > 2 %;,,Ala -
lie surrendered the three letters from which
he had abstrscted the money, and stated tba
he had intended to be far at sea before thai
time, but had changed his mind, and had re
turned. to make confession and restitution. ID!
further stated that be had been, TOR several
rnontha IN The ha Bit of ahstranting money iron