American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-16
A $5OO,OOO Robbery.

ONE of the heaviest robberies that ha.
ever been Derpetrated in this city
came to light yesterday morning. TIL,
robbery, which took place..on the -27tl
ult., resulted in the capture by thu
cracksmen or sneak thieves of small
amount of cash, and bonds, mortgages
deeds, and other papers to the full value
to the owner, of half million dollars
The property mentioned belonged to
| DIR. c. V. Dyer, who, not being in practice
or in business himself, has been in the
habit latterly of intrusting his books and
papers to the care of his son-in-law and
agent Mr.. Adolf Heile. manager for the
Chicago Terra Gotta Company, whose
place of business is at 80 Wabas h
avenue.
The papers were kept in small tin box,
and were deposited in the safe close at
hand, as they had to be frequently referred
to, and on the day of the robbery were in
their usual resting place.
About noon on that day, while Mr..
Helle was away, man entered the store
and asked the boy in charge if they had
any birds nests for sale, this being one of
the articles in stock The boy replied
that they had, and proceeded to show
them In order to do this he had to direct
his customer-whom subsequent revela
tions proved to have been a spy-tO the
back end of the store, which is partitioned
Off. and from behind which the desk and
safe in the office, which are also in the
rear, cannot be seen. Having satisfied
himself that the coast was clear for big
haul and having noted that the safe door
was standing ajar, the man made some
trifiing excuse and passed out He was
gone only a few minutes when he re-
turned, this time accompanied by two &C
completes. The three were engaged in
loud conversation about the merits of the
article that they were about t.
buy, and two of them again accompanied
the boy around the partition to look at
the birds nests. The third man, remark
ing that it was "nlce and warm here"
stepped up to the stove and stood there as
if warming himself; as no one saw him, it
is the presumption that he rapidly and
dexterously robbed the till of its con-
tents in cash, about seventy three dollars,
leaving a check of $3.50 remaining in the
drawer, as being useless to him, and then
stepped in the safe, a few feet distant, and
took the tin box containing the papers,
and which, being only four by eight
inches in size, he easily concealed about
him, and in moment after rejOined his
companions, and they passed out together,
having concluded not to purchase for the
present. 1t was not until night that the
discovery of the theft was made by MIR.
Helie, VINO, on making up his CASH ior Tie
day, found that the currency was missing,
and looking about found that the tin box
with the valuable deeds and papers was
also gone.
AS it is perfectly plain how the job was
done, there is no need to give any sur
misses as to what might have taken place.
The Office is on the left side of the store,
inclosed in an area OF ten feet square, and,
though adjacent to. is perfectly hidden
from any one behind the partition.
AS has been stated, the safe-door was
open and the money drawer unlocked, so
that the thief only had to help himself to
the valuables and hastily secrete them
about his Chicago Tribune