St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-13
ROBBED HIS OWN SAFE.
How n Boston Business Man Was
Forced 10 Confess His Guilt.

Boston Traveller.
Early yesterday morning the bookkeeper
for Z. l.. Dodge, plumber, at Nos. 6 and
Friend street, informed Capt. Wilkins of
Station 2, that he had, on reaching
the store a few minutes previously,
found the safe door open and the
cash drawer empty. He said that Mr..
Dodge had put 81, 727 in the cash drawer
the night before. That money was miss
ing. Sergeant DAILY and Patrolmen Watts
and Blackley were at once sent down to in
veStigate the case. The found the safe as
the clerk had described. The person who
had opened it was evidently acquainted
with the combination, for no force
had been used to open the outer
door. A chisel had been used to pry open
the cash drawer. Two shutters had been
placed against the the front window of the
office. Entrance had been made through
the door at No. 5. The lock had been re-
moved by boring around the screws with an
augur. Mr.. Dodge said he sold some stocks
on Tuesday, receiving 50, TIT therefor.
The banks were closed and he had
put the money in the safe, intending to de-
post it in the morning. The door leading
10 Union street had been ''dutched" (as the
police express it), i. e., locked on the inside
by means of a stick braced against the floor.
While this did not prove that the work was
performed by some one belonging in
side the place, it gave rise to spec
ulationS in that direction. Rob
bers often do the same thing,
as it delays the information OF their opera
tons, very necessary precaution, espe-
cially when they desire to get out of town by
an early train. But this same Dutch lock
urac - IoIf L., g.
hasty safe-rObber and caused the police TO
give closer observation for other signs of
an insider than they otherwise might.
The Job having been, toO,a very bungling
one, the decision that Mr.. Dodge himself
had had a hand in it was very soon arrived
at. Everything possible to establish this
theory was investigated, however, before
an attempt should be made to gain
a confession from the suspected
party. Finally, in the evening,
Capt. Wilkins quietly sent for Mr..
Dodge, who answered the summons, and
was soon under examination in the private
Office of Station 2. In the first place, the
evidence tending to show that Mr.. Dodge,
and no other, must have committed the rob
berry was placed before the accused. He
was much astOnished at the telling points
made against him, and doubtless thought
hlmSe1 very poor man at the sort
of thing in which he had been en-
gagged. Evidently he was unable
to grasp a point in his favor which gave any
reasonable hope of extricatiOn. He wisely
avoided losing time in the effort to do so,
and confessed, instead, that he robbed his
own safe. There is nothing to show thus
far, however, that the remarkable act was
committed for the purpose of wronging
anyone. This, indeed, renders the
thing most singular. He explains (?)
that being impOrtuned to invest
this money i'll certain specula-
ton to which he was opposed, it had oc-
CURED to him TO get rid of the money zap
parently) and the opportunities without in
jury to any one. The recent exploits of
safe-breakers had supplied the idea which
he carried out. After giving him his
opinion of the little plan, and some advice
which he will do well to follow. Capt
wilkins showed Mr.. Dodge out and he
departed.