, 1873-10-29
THE ANDREW .GRAB..
A Resume of tho Jackson County Safe
Isobbing Question.

A Resume OF tho Jackson County Safe
Isobbing Question.
From the Dubuque {la}. Herald, Oct. %.
Tho public mind in Jackson County, and gen.
orally ontside OF thRt Interested locality pretty
well made up on the subject Of the jackson
County safe robbery, which occurred at Andrew,
Sunday night . week ago.
The condition Of tho Court-House and tho ear
marks Of tho robbery nro fraugElt with q hun
drod contradictions which OILY time and tho
closest scrutiny can explain.l Tho first mau who
became acquainted with the affair WAS Mr. John
s. Ray tho deputy clerk, who won't to the Court
d hone s RI hs
ness. He found the outer front door Of the
Court-HouAo locked as usual. On entering.
when lo reaohed tho atalrs landing In the
necond-story :ot the building W., whore tae
tho Treasurer's q oaice opon. Thinking 1t rather
singular that the Deputy Troasuror, O'Brion.
should havs left this door open, and tho. ontor
door Of the Court-1Iouse shut, Mr. Ray stepped
safe open and Q MAS Of papers lying scattered
on the floor. The safe stands In the northwest
corner Of the room behind long desk, which
partially hides 1t from VisW to my one noar tho
ho went around behind the desk and found the
inner door of tho safe also standing ,a1ar. sus-
picionin8 \ robbety be gave the alarm, which
attracted large number Of citizens and all tho
county officials In. Andrew to tho place, among
the rest Treasurer Bryan aud bis Deputy. and
prompt measures we're taken to track tho plum
dorerH. ,.-
According to the frat theory Of tho manner in
which the robbery was Effected, the Court-Houso
was entered BY an attic dortner window, reached
BY ladder, tho rpbborg passing through a trap
door into the Masonic Hall in tho: third story,
thence through an anto.room on tho north sllo
of it, and by the winding strairway TO thohall~
way to the SECOND story. This theory hna, since nee
ontry was through window to 4 jury-room III
the first story, on tho nortllweat side, which
could easily 10 roaoned by stopping along tho
stone Gaping from the front door, aud some
door to the jury-room was found swung vide
open tho mor1ltng tue robbery was discovered,
An examination OF the door Of tho Treas
urer's office showed that tho catch which bold
a lsrge splinter Of tho tnmb or caaelnent embed.
ding it. This same piepe was cleft out III an at
tempted robbery Heyen yoara ago, aud had baon
replaced With long Sorrows. Strange to say, tho
aud could have been picked with L bent wire)
was withdrawn into It's socket instead Of being
out, and tue defacoment OF tho paint on tho
edgos OF tile tamb looked as though tho splinter
door was unlocked. large map Of Maqnoketa
had been takeh from the wall aud placed In tho
window behind the safe, as II to hide
= light; The inner aud outer doora Of
the safe sSsEod II tue r5evs asss pat Of
the dial-plates WAS the only mark Of vtqlonoe
disoernable about the safo, and no othsr infor-
enoe can be drawn except that It waa regularly
unlocked by the combination, Mr. N: D. But
was among the first. who arrived in the Office
after tho alarm Hea given, picked up anong tho
scattered papers gu the floor tile blsiness card
Of aPhiladoIplls tel hougo, on tho baek Of which
wero writtel. tho combinations Of both looks.
az waa afterwards admitted By the Treasurer and
his deputy, The robbers could hayo' and per-
haps did mako their escape through the attic
window wS hare mentioned. g aaa package .eqp;
As soon as the news OF tho epoliatton got out, !,
anumbor Of citizens of Andrew volunteered,
= themselves acommlttoo to pugsuo the robbers.
Among tlese @ Was q soh l. ]nIakoe, young lawyer,
Maquoketa, each taking . diGeront route whore
tic road dlvargcs two miles aouth Of Andrew,
Baker soon struck tho fresh trail Of buggy. aud
followed 1t to Bridgeport . ferry;laudng on tho
boat and tue srnallor boat woro on the other side
Of the stream, both having been taken over In
tho night Without anowledga Of tho torryman,
Bob Chandler, who Tcsidcs on tho north aide.
gether, and OIL r6Aching tho boat found
tho track Of buggy whools in the frost which had
gathered during tho night Bakor folt suro no
waB on tho trail of the robber, and continued ha
Journey to ManuokekA WltA otltnl6lh8tlc energy.
Reaohing there ha began inqu!riug about tho
buggy and itB occupants. but Naa Qniokiy con-
vincol that hc lad his erran1 In thla direction
for nothing. Ho met young fellow named
Hammond, who related that Sunday oyoning he
lady living north OF Apdrew, and, on llin return
After midnight, stopped In a saloon in that town
kept by a. man, o1.rlously, named Jeanh Christ
Blessing. where he mot Treasurer Bryan and
lila deputy, O'Drien, who we're engaged At q
game Of euohro, aud invited him to gasH
ct beer with them which he did not accept but
took cigar aud left tho saloon and resnning
his aeat In tho buggy went On to Maquokota
farrieh hiIhaalf oxar tha riYnr. 1nnthnr uan