Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-09-30
An ADuorr THEFT.
Three Thieves secure Ncarly - 900
From Chicago Contractors.

/Throe Thieves secure Ncarly $1,000
From Chicago Contractors.
Eggleston, Mallette 4 Brownell. con-
tractors and manufacturers of crusht d
some, occupy a handsome Office in the
Royal Insurance building. Chicago. Satur-
Day was pay day for their big force of men.
In order that the pay roll might be got
ready and the money put up in packages for
distribution, Mr.. Mallette drew check for
the entire amount, Thursday, and sent q
clerk to the hank to have II cashcd. He
returned with $3.50 in currency, and,
placing the amount on his desk, he sat
down with the pay roll to count out and
put In small envelopes the various sums
due the men. The only persons In the
office at the time were Mr. Eggleston and
Mr.. Mallctte. Both were busy writing
letters. Just as the clerk began counting
the money, q wcll-dressed, good-looking
young man came into the office and en-
gagged In conversation with Mr.. Eggleston.
A minute later another young man came
In through different entrance and spoke
TO Mr.. Mallette. At that instant the tele-
phone bell rang.
The clerk, glancing up and seeing both
members of the firm talking to strangers
left his desk to answer the telephone, which
is hung in an adjoining closet. The iirst
stranger concluded his conversation with
Mr.. Eggleston, and passing by the clerks
desk went out through the entrance the
other man came in at. Mr.. r.Eggleston went
on with his letter writing. Then Mr.. NAL
lette's caller Withdrew. Both members of
the firm were scratching away with their
pens when the clerk came out of the
telephone closet and told Mr.. Mallette
that Marshall Field 4 Co.had a package for
advanced charges, and had called up to
Know where the package was to be deliv-
cred. Mr.. Mallete said he did not under
stand what they meant, and went to the
telephone himself There was no one at
the other end of the wire, and the connec.
tion had been broken. The clerk returned
to his desk. The money was gone. His
face grew pale, his knees shook, and he
could hardly control his voice long enough
to ask Mr.: Eggleston il he had taken the
money. That gentleman replied that he
had not Mr. Malle.te stepped from the
telephone closet and also denied having
taken the money. Then the clerk began to
laugh. He thought his employers were
playing Joke on him because of his care
lessness in leaving so large sum of money
exposed. But the seriousness of the situa-
ton struck all three when they realized
that they were victims of one of the most
remarkable pieces of sneak -thieving on
record.
"What did your man want?" asked Mr..
Mallette, turning to his partner
"He asked about the standing of some
Arm that never heard of. And yours p
He asked If we were figuring on paving
contracts on the West Side"
''rhe man who rang the telephone was
their confederate" Clipped in the clerk.
All three rushed to the door and down to
the ground floor. There are two exits from
the building, one on Jackson and the other
on Quincy street. Dozens of busy men are
constantly passing in and out, and it was
not at all strange that no one could be found
who had noticed the two thieves. Up and
down the street ran the two contractors and
their clerk, but the search availed nothing
The thieves had escaped with the big bundle
of money.