Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-04
TIE TREASURY THEFT.
One of the Nest Curious of Robberies-The
Detectives Baffied.

Inc treasury Secret Service force on
behalf of the Government, and Pinker-
toms agency for the Adams Express
Company, are earnestly at work to dis
cover the stolen money of the Illinois
National Bank, and to secure the thief.
No definite trace of either has been OBJ
tanned. The officials are very reticent
as to their suspicious. Evidence they
have none. There are several theories
as to the manner in which the theft may
have been committed. There is no una
nimity of opinion except as to the con-
victlon that the National Redemption
Agency IS no way responsible for the
loss. Suspicion attaches to parties in
four different places, holding distinct
POSITIONS In Government service, in the
employ of the Adams Express Company,
and in the receiving bank at Chicago.
1t cannot be said that the authorities
have evidence or even suspicious which
would warrant charging the offense upon
any one place or person.
The history of the package is this
On the afternoon of Dec. the National
Redemption Agency, in the usual course
OF business, notified the Assistant Treas
urer that there should be sent to the Hi
nois National Bank, Chicago, on redemp
ton account, 81 800. THIS is the amount
of the substituted package. This mott
fication from one bureau to the other is
given by memorandum check. This
notification is entered in a form book.
1t would have been possible, perhaps,
for any clerk III the Treasurer's Office to
open the book and ascertain the charac-
ter OF the money packages that were to
be dispatched the next day, the amount,
denomination.of the bills, and destination.
The numbers alone could not be learned
as no record is kept of the number of
the notes, consequently the treasury can
never avail itself of this advantageous
clew In case of loss. These packages are
daily sent to National banks by the
Adams Express Company. That COM
pany has its Office for the transaction of
the Government business in the base
ment of the east room In the I'reasurer's
office. The only means of official CON-
munication is by private elevator, the
upper approach of which is guarded by
treasury officials, the lower by express
company officers. The elevator COM
municates only with these two rooms.
The next morning after the notification,
the clerks of the Treasurer prepare the
express receipts corresponding to the
entries in the book mentioned, and the
vault clerk makes up the money pack
ages in envelopes. These envelopes,
with their respective amounts, subse-
quently pass through three hands, and
receive separate seals in wax. The first
sealer verifies the count of the vault
clerk, seals the package in the middle,
and addresses it from the memorandum
tag. The two other senders do not
see the contents of the envelope. The
envelope is then handed to the per
sons in charge of the elevator.
always more than one, and taken TO
the express office below. There Il is
receipted for by the express officers,
who take charge of it. At this point
it is claimed the Treasurer's response
bihty ceases. Between the time the
money is taken from the vault and the
time it reaches the express Office sub
stitution might be possible. If il was
attempted there by the experts who
daily handle such packages, the work
should have been skillfully done. 1t
was not. The envelope which contained
the substituted paper is Of diff
character and make from the official
Government envelopes used for such
purpose. 1t is much darker in color.
The officers have been unable to find
in any stationer's stock in this civ anv
envelope which corresponds with the
one used In the substitution. Ii is
urged IN behalf Of the Treasury clerks
that 1t would have been Incompetent
sible stupidity to have used such an en-.
velope when the regular official ones
that were in daily use were right beside
them. 1t Is, however, of course posi-
bic that the substitution could have
been made in the cash-ruom when the
package reached the Office of the ex-
press company. 1t was not received or
receipted for by the persons generally
IN charge. There are seven express
officials on duty there. That afternoon
there were bat two. 1t happened that
there was funeral that afternoon of the
wife of one of the express clerks. The
others were attending il. The package
was receipted for by deputy. II re-
NAMED in the Office from | 80 till 2 :45
in the afternoon of Dec. 6. The fact
that the Adams Company has set Pinker-
tons agency at work shows that some
suspicious possibly may attach to its
own employees.
The next place to which il is claimed
that suspicion attaches is at the bank in
Chicago. 1t is not considered probable
that the iron safes could have been
opened in transit. The messengers are
not provided with keys to the through
safes, neither is it believed that the ex-
press company's officers in Chicago did
anything but to deliver the package as
they received it.
One circumstance is reported from
Chicago which is engaging the attention
OF the officers: The package was deliv-
cred to one OF the bank officers by the
express agent at 9:15, and receipted for.
There were two packages for the bank
that morning-one for S11, $3.50, and the
substituted one for about S11 900, which
was not disturbed. The hank officer. or
clerk, who n csived these packages is
reported as stating that he placed these
packages In q compartment called
Coop locked them up, and retired
before opening them to retiring room,
and was absent fifteen minutes. Upon
his return he Immediately opened them,
and found the small package correct,
while the large one, he says, contained
only soft paper cut in the shape of bills.
This officer IS represented to have i'm
mediately stepped from his Coop"
and called the attention of another clerk
to the false package with the exclama-
ton, "How is that for hight" This
absence of fifteen minutes is a circum-
stance which the officials claim requires
explanation. 1t is remembered that
there was a similar absence in the retsr-
ingroom when the package of SAT, 500
was stolen from the treasury last year,
and it was subsequently proved upon
the trial that that sum was left in crew
Ice in the retiring room until there was
an opportunity for its removal.
A SchOOl.b0y on Corns
4