National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-03
DARING SAFE ROBBERY
Committed In a Public Office In
Broad Day.
Eight Thousand Dollars Abstracted from
the Room of the Disbursipg Clerk at
tho Government Printing Omce--
The Safe Opened and the
Money Taken During
Business Hours


iShlCotnOC, ri inc bONcrnncnb IIlnllnB. OHlCe'
was robbed yesterday Of SO 400 under circum-
stances which indicate that the thieves were
most bold and'dnring professionals. The room
or Office of the discussing clerk is on the Sec
ond floor of the luiding and between the cor.
ridor at the head of the stairway leading from
North Capitol street entrance and the chief
clerks room. There are two doors opening
into the room, one from the main hall and tho
other from the chief clerks room. Opposite
the entrance from the corridor is the only win
dow in the room. which looks out upon North
Capitol street. The apartment contains u desk,
the safe, and n table. The doors leading into
It are open nearly all the time. Persons are
constantly passing in and out, and the pres
cuce of stranger would attract little atten-
ton. The safe in which the money is kept is
carefully locked whenever Mr.. Larcombe
leaves the room.
Yesterday Mr.. Larcombe wcs engaged in
paying oii'the employees, and was necessarily
absent from his room most all day in different
parts of the building The robbery was COM
mittcd between eleven and one o'clock. One
of the most astonishing circumstances con-
nected with the affair is the fact that the door
leading into the chief clerks room adjoining
was open during the whole time, and that
room was filled, as usual, with clerks.
Tho money taken was sorted in envelopes,
ready to he paid out to employees, each enve
one bearing the name Of the person to whom
it was to he given. The whole amount was in
notes, ranging from -. 10 $50
HOW TT HAPPENED.
In the early part of the morning, from nine
until eleven, Mr.. Larcombe was engaged in
paying on the men at work III the document
room, job room and other offices on the second
floor. At eleven o'clock lie returned to his
office, accompanied by two colOred men, who
assisted him in carrying about the box Of en-
welcomes, bags Of silver, and other articles
which HAD to he taken from room 10 room.
when Mr. Lnrcomhe entered the room man
whom he had noticed abont the building before
was standing ut the window. Mr. Larcombe
opened the safe aud placed in IL large num-
per ct empty envelopes rs well as eight or ten
hlIed with money Tor EMPLOYEES who were not
present that day. Then Mr. larcnnbc took
out the package OF money envelopes intended
for use in paying OIL IN the bindcry, aud he
and his assistants lett the room. Inc stranger
remained all the time near the window, and
was lett standing there when Ir, Ltrcomhe
went ont, ihe latter was ahscat TINS time
until one o'clock.
THE ROBBERY DISCOVERED.
When he returned at one o'clock lie met u
gentleman NJ the door who proposed TO take
the payroll to sick employee with the proper
envelope so that lie could get his nancy that
with money which MIR. larcombe had returned
to the sale upon his return to his Office nj
eleven O'Clock. 10 yet II Mr.. Larcomhc had
to go to his sale, ana lie opened the door on
the right hand expecting to lind the envelopes
where he had placed them. 10 his surprise
he found that the batch Of envelopes WAS gone.
lie Immediately opened the lett hand d0nr
ana looked through the other CON partment.
| The robbery was then discovered. lot OF
envelopes, containing In all about $500, was
missed.
The discovery created great excitement
about the building. Word was s,nt Vt olcc tc
Police headquarters, and all the detective
| officers available were detailed TO work up Tia e
case.
WHO DID TIP
For several days two or three men have been
noticed lurking about the building in the vi
| entity OF the discussing clerks room. One o
! them is describe as u heavy, thick set man
! who wore sIOuch hat, with the hrim bGut
| down over his Face IN such way MS TO almost
conceal his lace. rms man, as he has been seen
| more frequently thm the O.hcrs is supposed tt
be the chiei OF the gang. Another man Is de
scrlbed OF medium height AMI build, with red
whlakeis, ahd the al ahnut the same SIZE
WIN only liEht unatache. IL was the thick
set man whom Mr.. l.arcombe saw NJ the win
dow OF his room. He saw the same man last
Monday or tuesday leaning against The heate
| III NAN Hhll' NV SNld"SCi Nhn Nv 'llAI tlllt
counting some money, and Mr. lhrcombe sayi
that he thought he was some collector who hat
been there on business with some of the EN-
ployees. The three men were seen in Mr.
Ltrcoinbe,s room together between eleven AM
one o'clock yesterday, when the robbery wa
committed. messenger who entered thc room
during that time saw the three men standir,
near the table opposite the safe.
One of them appeared to he examining Thu
dictionary very intcnty, and remarked TO TIN
Others US the messenger entered, No. that |
not right" Mr.. Roberts, foreman of TIN
bindery, also came in the room while Mr.. Lar
cOmbe was away, and found a stranger there
) Mr.. Roberts asked him:
do you want to see Mr. Larcombe 2" mo,
the man replied, II want to see Mr.. Cooper"
Mr.. Roberts went ont, leaving the man II
possession of the room. Upon inquiry, 1t wa
usccrtaincd that there isno one connected wi.
the office named Cooper, except an ap rentic
in tue pressroom, who Lmew nothing ahOu
the stranger.
There are so many persons passing in an
out OF the building about noon that the me
could easily have escaped without being oil
served,
HOW THEY OPENED THE SAFE.
The thieves evidently had II key to fit tn
safe lock. When Mr.. LarcOmbe returned I
his room ut ono o'clock he found the sal
locked rs usual, showing that the thieves Il
unlocked it aud then secured it again, Til
theory generally accepted is that while lurL
ing about the office they obtained Il WAX IN