The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-13
MYSTERIOUS ROBBERY.
Tweniy-four Thousand Dollars Take
Wings and Fly Away-One Instance
in (which Plundered official ts Not
SUSPECTED Of RObbing Himself.

people OF DAtaVh auu OleI muhb OOunsy
are not little excited over the discovery
to-day that the county treasury was
robbed of S24 900. In 1871 j. K Corbly,
county treasurer, was found to be So,OOU
short in his accounts. he was Immediately y
suspended from office, and Alfred N.
Robinson, of Miamisville, this county,
was appointed in his place. Robinson is
a farmer of high standing III this CON-
munity. He owns about two hundred
acres OF rich lands, portion o. the estate
of his grandfather, who, as Revolution
sry soldier, pre-empted 1000 acres OF
land in the military reservation IN loOO.
He served IN the army during the war
with honor. He WAS Chief Clerk OF the
OommisSary Department at Camp Den
nison, and served rs Quartermaster OF the
Fifth Ohio Cavalry.
After the expiration OF Corbly's term
Of office, to which Robinson was appoint
ed, he was nominated by the Democrats
in 1878, and elected by the largest ma
iorlty of any man on the ticket. he
was renominated and reelected IN 1910
DIV a similar majority. HIS present term
o; office expires in september of next
wear. His bond OF half million Is
backed by some of the most substantial
men In the county Robinson is one Of
the most honorable aud popular men in
Clermont county; snd, Notwithstanding
the cloud that overshadows him at pres
enl, the faith oil the people In his integ-
rlyy is unshaken. He is man lorty-four
wears of age, and has one daughter who
was recently married.
The tax duplicates for Clermont county
tins year aggregate S22S,OOO. The
largest amount accumulated in the
county treasury at any one time Is about
eig ghty thousand dollars, and Lhls alter
the June and December collections. At
this period of the year, just before the
December collections, the funds IN the
treasury are at the lowest ebb, and only
about twenty-four thousand dollars were
in the vaults.
About month since, Probate Judge
Bunavaugh appointed j. &. McMath, a
Republican lawyer, to make an lnvestl'
CATION of the funds in the treasury
McMath made an examination IN accord
ance with the requirements OF the law,
and found $4,000 IN cash on hand, and
reported the balance sheet OF the Auditor
and Treasurer rs correct and agreeing.
Some time since the County lntrmary
burned down, and an insurance OF S7,8OO
was paid into the Treasury. The $24,OOO,
in packages of $1,000, in IS, $40 and $40
was placed la the inner vault OF the safe.
which Was one OF DIobold's, and Is about
thirteen years old. The safe has three
doors-s fire proof, a burglar and an inner
door to the vault The insurance money
was kept on the outside of the vault, and
was used from time to time to meet
various drafts for sundry purposes.
For four weeks court has been in ses
sion, and the fees, mileage and per diem
of the Jurors and witnesses had to be
paid. Upon getting up this morning
Mr.. Robinson anticipated these wants,
and concluded that he would have TO go
into the inner vault to get the money,
as the money he had had in the second
vault had been exhausted. About one
o'clock one of the petit jurors appeared
at the counter of the treasury and pre-
sented q voucher for his pay. Mr.. Rob
inson, the treasurer, turned TO the safe,
swung open the outer and inside doors,
unlocked the com bination OF the vault,
and, stopping down, reached his hand In
To get one of the thousand-dollsr pack.
ages out OF the $4,000. The rest of the
story is given IN the language OF Mr..
Stinct held:
When he reached his right hand in he
turned around and the color lett his face
Then he put his left hand in, and stood
silent. His face changed color several
times. He fell to the floor as if struck,
and gave utterance to shrieks that pierced
nv heart. rushed around the counter
to his assistance, and he exclaimed with
a grosn THE moneys gonel TIE safe
IS robbed | am ruined!"
The alarming news spread with hight
ming rspidity over the town and sdJoln-
ing country, and an immense crowd
gathered almost instantly around the
building where the county offices are
located. OF course the robbery was the
only topic of conversation. Who did it?
How was it done? And where2 were
the eager questions which every body
asked, and which no body answered.
There are many theories and specula-
tions. but the deed is clothed in rs deep q
mystery as the recent McNey murder
near Chillcothe. The onl y matter that
there was no doubt about, was the lnteg-
ritv of Alfred Robinson. Whoever did
it. he is utterly ignorant, and entirely in
nocent of the affair. For time after the
discovery his mind tOttered on It's throne
and he has been in seAl-Geranged con =
dition ever since the startling revelations.
lie WAS conveyed At once to his home,
where he was met by his distracted wife.
The keys OF the safe were placed IN the
hands of the Probate Judge, who has, for
the present assumed col troll OF the office.
Telegrsms were sent to Cincinnati for
detectives, and immediate steps taken to
discover the thief or thieves.
Just after the robbery of the Auglsize
Treasury, Robinson said to friends: at
my safe was to be robbed now people
would think did it," He has been wild
all night with the thought that people
may suspect him. He says: "They may
take ali | have, and make the money
good; but in Gods name let them spare
my good name" Several attempts have
been made ID secure statement from
him at lucid intervals and q portion OF
the above facts were CLEANED from his
conversations He says he can not say
positively when he saw the money IN the
vault last, but thinks it was lsst Thurs
day evening. He always carries the keys
to the safe himself, and claims that no
other person living but himself knows the
combination. He thinks it possible that
the package may have been taken any
time within the last ten day, but he is
utterly unable to account for the strange
disappearance of the money
The Keets Mine Troubles.
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