Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-09
SAFE ROBBERS AT WORN.
BOLD ATTFNPT To CEaCA 4
SAFE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT

SAFE IN BROAD pa LltR k1A
Expert Crsoksuaea Pint up = Sob ID
Cbsmpiou's CT Gerry EstsoIisarar oi
Congress Street.-The Clerk pccoS e..
Out Of the store While tue Gabber
Get In their WorL-A Double Loeb
Frustrates Their Plans.
One OF the most s6ro.tlv planned SAFE
Tobberies On record was suem a,ci il
broad daylight in A. 81. Champion S ego
Gerry Establishment, ia Congress street.
yesterday afternoon.
A boat O'Clock two we. dressed, sen-
teel looking strangers entered --e 81. g.
One Of them produced bottle sat s-aeJ
the clerk, Mr. Robert Hunt. who WAS the
only one connected witl the acm in tie
store at the time, fer plat oi whisky.
TIE liquor department is 81 .1e rear
OF the store uea- th ST. Julian
street entrance. M- Hunt went
back 70 all tle order. one OF
the strangers went win h,m. and the
other remained at the counter near the
front entrance on Congress street. Mr..
Hunt stood for moment
conversing witn bis customer
when be- was called 20 rleotaer end OF tue
price o. onions. After some talk be con
Guided not 70 BUY, and turned 10 leave the
store. Mr.. Hunt politely suggested that
he had forgotten 70 pay for the liquor, and
stepped toward the door VITA him. 81
orde ell no liquor was the reply. at
was the other gentleman who ordered
mat" Mt Hunt turned around
30 see where the other gentleman
WAS, but be was nowhere 10 be seen.
stepping to The ST. Julian street door Mr..
Hunt looked up and down, but could see
nothing OF his man. He walked to the
corner Of Barnard street, opposite the
market. and looked in both directions and
then started back TO the store, where he
left the second stranger, waiting his re-
turn.
When he got back there was no one
in the store, aud Mr.. Hunt made
up his mind that he had been
played. He was gone, he said, not longer
than a minute or q minute and half at
the longest. On entering the store he
noticed that board which had been
leaning against the counter near where
he lett the stranger ding when be went
ont, was lying on the floor. He picked
il up and walked behind the counter to-
wards the safe TO see if everything was
ali right there. Tue safe is one of the old
style Herring safes and stands behind the
bOokkeeper's desk next 10 the window
fronting on Congress street and in plain
view from the sidewalk.
The first thing that attracted Mr..
Hunts attention was an Office stool living
on the floor in front of the safe. The safe
door was open. just then Mr.. William
ID. Champion, another clerk, walked IN
and Mir. HUNT told him what had taken
place. Mr.. Champion had the keys TO the
safe, and when he went out a short time
before mad closed the door to the inner
D. q. -. ... "a
turned the key. IL IL not usual thing,
M. Champion said, to lock the inner safe,
where TIE cash is kept, except by closing
the door. On this occasion he could
ha dly tell why he had turned the kew,
double locking the safe, aud had put the
KEY in bis pocket leaving the outer door
open.
To make sure that everything was all
right Mr. Champion stopped down and
j oked into the safe. AS he did 80 he saw
bit Of wire in the keynote. he tried his
key, but it would not 20 in. 10 was evil
dent at glance that the safe had been
tempered with. The door was locked,
but whether 10 had been opened and
the money taken out and then closed
AGAIN could not be told. After working
at the lock for a few minutes Mr.. Cham
pion saw that it required more skill than
he possessed to open it, and he sent for
Mr.. Joseph z. White, the locksmith Mr..
White saw at glance that expert cracks
men had been at work. After several
minutes be succeeded Ia picking the lock.
The door was then opened. The cash
upwards OF S60O-was found all right.
The stranger who engaged Mr.. Hunts
attention in the store while his partner
VINO bought the liquor slipped out was
the cracksmau who worked the Job.
When Mr. Hunt stepped out Of the store
he jumped the counter and began work
on the safe. knowing that MIR. Hunt
would be gone but "a minute or so, and
that 1t must be quick Job, ne thrust the
wire into the inner sale lock, suppOsing
that the keybolt had not been turned, and
that he could pick the spring lock, get the
money. and be gone before the clerk
would get back. The keybOlt, which
Dir. Champion luckily turned, foiled him
in this attempt. In his haste ne broke
the wire, and, knowing that it was useless
To try further. he quit the job and get out
a the store without being discovered. In
going around the counter he Knocked
down the board which first led to the dis
covery Of the job. BY the time Mr..
Champion arrived aud the safe could be
opened he ard his pal had ample time TO
get out of the way. 1t was daring lob
and shreWdly planned. The cracksmen
waited until Mr. Hunt was alone in the
store before they began their work Ii
was simply Mr.. Champions good luck in
locking the inner safe with the key that
frustrated the robbers plans.
Mr.. Hunt is confident thathe can rec
ognize one Of the men il be sees him.
Both were Young men or medium height
The one that worked the safe wore a
light Overc0at. black derby hat and had
red mOustache and light hair. The other
had black monstache and imperial but
Mr.. Hunt could not describe his dress.
The police were notified but no clue has
been obtained 70 lead 10 tue arrest Of the
robbers.