Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-02
STRANGE ROBBERY I'M
CHARLESTON
A Private Cash Box In the First Ma
tlOnal Bank Robbed OF so. 200 In
Bonds.

The Neaos and Courier Of Monday says
that the officers Of the Fret National Bank
we're startled on Saturday morning By the
discovery that the private box Of Commo.
dore Duncan n. Ingraham, deposited in the
vault Of the bank, had been broken open,
and that between 1900 and $l1, 900 Of Sc.
curities, which it had contained, consisting
of city Of Savannah per cent. coupon
bonds and city of Charleston per cent.
coupon bonds, were missing. The discovery
was made by John Robinson, the col
ored porter Of the bank, who imme-
diately informed the cashier. The
box had not been deposited in the
safety deposit vaaItJ but had been placed
In the vault in the board room next
to the Presidents room. This vault is kept
locked and was accessible only to the
officers of the bank, and to the porter when
sent there on some special errand. Com
modore Ingraham's box had been placed in
the vault some time ago and had not been
opened by him for several months. AS soon
as the discovery of the robbery was made
the box was carefully examined and was
found to contain only papers OF no com
mercial value. The fact that the vault was
found properly locked Immediately directed
suspicion against some person connected
with the bank. A o'clock on Saturday
evening the chief Of police
received a communication from the
bank informing him of the facts
and asking for the services OF an officer.
Lieutenant Golden went to the bank June
diately and there obtained all the particu-
lars. Upon his return to the station house,
Captain Rhett detailed Lieutenant Heidi to
investigate the case, with Officer Turner to
assist him. The suspicious OF the bank Off
GERS were directed aginst Mr.. G.. Frazer
Wilson, the second bookkeeper, who had
been absent from the bank since Monday
last, and who, It was said, had been intoxf-
Gated for several DAYS past. Lieutenant
Heidi found that MIR. Wilson was at his resi-
dence, where he remained Saturday night.
A warrant for Mr.. Wilson's arrest had
been obtained from Trial Justice Burnet,
and yesterday morning Lieut.. Heidi arrested
the accused at his house. The prisoner, on
being informed of the evidence against him,
| acknowledged that he had taken the securi-
ties, and turned over to the officer the fol.
lowing bonds, which he took from his bu-
reau drawer: Six 81 900 per cent. city Of
Savannah coupon bonds, Nos. TAG, TAT, 74S,
749, $50 and 751; two $500 5 per cent. city Of
Savannah coupon bonds, Nos. 202 and 7o2;
six $500 per cent. city of Charleston coupon
bonds, Nos. Ga, 6l5 617, 61S, GIG and $40;
two city of Charleston 500 per cent. cou-
pom bonds, Nos. I.096 and 1907, and one
500 city Of Charleston per cent bond,
No. "a, making total Of &c., 800. One $500
per cent. city of Charleston bond, No.
GIG, which was among the securities in the
box, was still missing. Mr.. Wilson was
then taken to the station house, where he
remained in custody all day. He had very
little to say, giving as his excuse for the
crime that he was intoxicated. With refer
ence to the missing $500 bond, he stated
that he had first taken the bonds to the
house Of one Kate Ryan, a colored woman,
living in Horlbeck's alley, and had placed
them under his pillow. He denied having
disposed Of the missing bond and could ac-
count for Its absence only upon the sup
position that the woman took 1t. Upon
this statement, the woman was arrested
about noon yesterday and was taken to the
station house. No bonds of any kind could
be found on her premises, but a very hand
some pair of gold bracelets, apparently
new, were found among her effects, and
were taken, with her, to the station house.
The woman says that Mr.. Wilson came to
her house one night last week under the
influence of liquor, with large package Of
bonds In his possession, and the next morn
ing carried them off with him. She denied
having taken the missing bond, or having
any knowledge OF its whereabouts. She
WAS retained at the station house for further
examination. Both parties will probably be
taken before Justice BHrnet this morning
for preliminary hearing"