Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-17
THEFTs FROM THE TREASURY.
An Ingenious Theory of the Manner by
Which One was PerPetrated.


WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-The new silver
vault of the Treasury Department is at
last completed, and within a few DAYS
will receive its first consignment ofstand-
ard dOllars--abOut five million in all. 1t
will require the better part of a week to
make this transfer from the old vault,
which is badly Oyercrowded, to the
new one, The system of guarding
the enormous sums of money which are
daily handled by the department is so thor
ough and complete that only once in the
last fifty years have the repeated efforts
of cracksmen and confidence men been
successful in defeating it. The particular
incident referred to occurred in 1870, when
Spinner was Treasurer. The amount
stolen was package of 1000 ten-dOllar
notes. The objective point Of the thieves
1.-TWO in number) was the division issue,
the bureau at which the freshly engraved
notes are delivered, to be counted and
turned into the Treasury.
Subsequent inquiry revealed the fact
that the scheme for the robbery had been
planned and matured several months
previous, waiting meanwhile with the
most cOmmendable patience for favor
able opportunity to accomplish it. One
day the wife OF prominent resident Of
Washington, in company with another
lady and her husband, were passing the
upper door Of the room where the money
packages were piled on table to be
counted. The first named lady and the
chief of division were well acquainted.
AS she came to the open door
they recognized and saluted each
other, she with her friends advancing
into the room. While in the act of
doing so one of the thieves forced himself
between the lady and her friends. He
Immediately entered into conversation
with Mr.. Root, the chief of the division,
making inquiry as to the manufacture,
receipt and counting Of the notes. Root
supposed him to belong to his friends
party, and was thus thrown entirely off
his guard. The lady in turn supposed
him to be an acquaintance of Roots. A
moment later the two ladies, with their
gentleman escort, sauntered carelessly to
the further extremity Of the room. The
principal thief, whose observations were
clever and pertinent, soon absorbed
Roots whole attention. His CONVEX
sation showed him to be man
Of fine mind and cultivated man.
ners. While chatting thus his accomplice
hastily entered, and approaching the
messenger whose duty it was to watch
the money packages, made some casual
inquiries about clerk who had long
since been dead. The woman turned
about to answer his queries. At this
juncture thief No. l suddenly exclaimed,
"Ah! | see my friends are leaving. l
must join them.' Root looked in the
direction indicated. Sure enough, the
party were moving toward the door.
His eyes were taken off OF the stranger
for only an instant, but in that time he
had managed to secrete the package
within the crown of his wide Panama
hat, which he negligently swung in his
left hand. The amazing GOODNESS and
audacity of the man was then
shown by his polite invitation to Root
to 60 out and shave something
The latter, however, declined with thanks,
and the thief made his exit ON the pre-
tence of rejoining his friends. The money
was missed within the hour that il was
taken, but there was no suspicion that it
had been stolen. On the supposition that
it had not been received from the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing, "a hours were
allowed to elapse. When the fact of the
theft was fully established, the aid Of the
telegraph and secret service detectives
was freely employed. The effort was
futile. The thieves escaped with their
booty, and have never to this day been
apprehended. The most singular feature
of the affair is that the stolen package was
the only one Of probably a score which
contained notes of that denomination.
The contents Of the others were mainly
fifty and one hundred dollar bills.