Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-13
A BOGUS SAFE ROBBERY.
Evidence that the Attempt 10 Rob the
Safe of the District of Columbia was
a Pnf-un Hob.

A-N4OChCC AAoA NAAC fANACAAhpt 10 nun tlC
Safe Of the District of Columbia was
"a Put-up Job.
Washington tJuae 2ol Special 10 the Cineinna-
ii 1azette.
TIE District Committee has printed
the evidence taken regard to the bogus
safe robbery in the Office of District
Attorney Harrington. A large num-
Der of witnesses were examined, and
the testimony covers 2SS pages. 1t
establishes that the two thieves who
were engaged in the transaction We're
fully posted beforehand in regard to
the job they were to work up, and that
it had for its object the fixing of the
crime upon Columbus Alexander, the
representative of the meihofialists be-
fore the committee. The Chief of Po-
lice was not made acquainted with the
plot further than to be informed by
Harrington that he expected robbery
of the safe, and asking the chief to be
on the grounds. The thieves went in
boldly, and blew open the safe with as
much deliberation as if they were lay
ing pavement In the street, walked ont,
went directly over to where Harring-
ton and friends were standing. and re-
ported. Onewas allowed to walk off, and
the other, according to directions given
by Harrington beforehand, followed,
he having the bundle, and Harrington's
statement being that he was simply
following to see where the thief would
take his plumber He was actually
guided and directed to the house of
Alexander, an assistant in the Police
Court going in advance to show the
way. Failing to waken Alexander by
ringing many times, Richards, the
Cblefof Police, insisted upon making the
arrest, and defeated theplot. The jan
itor of the District Attorneys Office
was sent up to the Washington Club
House to stay, and there most of the
prominent persons in the District
Government were In waiting for some
thing for long time One of the de-
tectives of the Baltimore and Ohio
road, a former assistant Of his, and a
highly respectable citizenof Baltimore,
now a business partner of the latter,
all testified to Hayes being the safe
robber who escaped, telling them some
days In advance that he had been en-
gagged by Harrington to blow open
the safe, and that the plot was
to put the whole matter upon
Columbus Alexander Hays lad
stopped IN Baltimore with this railroad
detective, with whom he had formerly
served on Whitley's force of the Treas
ury Secret Service. The theory of
those men is, that Hays made known
the fact of the job, so that if he did not
escape as he expected, he could escape
the penitentiary by turning States ev-
idence, and having some witnesses to
corroborate his story. The evidence on
all sides is to the effect that the whole
affair from first to last was a set up
job. 1t appears quite as clear that the
attempt to fasten the crime on Alexan-
der has utterly failed. The statement
Of Major Richards, Chief of Police,
and the evidence sustaining his, is held
to exonerate the Metropolitan Police
from knowing completely in the case,
and so to fix the entire responsibility
on the officers of District Attorneys
Office, and Of the Police Court. The
report Of the committee is not yet pre-
pared. 1t viii probably report the
facts, and suggest that no final verdict
should be pronounced upon the guilt
of any by a committee of Congress, but
that the officers of the law of this dis
trict should see that the degree of guilt
of any or all involved should manifestly
be decided by the Criminal Court.