Evening journal., 1889-12-09
TIE THIEF WASF0LL0WED
TRACKED FOR TWO BLOCKS BY
A MESSENGER BOY.

Confederate Throws the Youth on His
Track-The Daring Robbery on the
Delaware Bank the Three Men Were
Plotting.
The police have as yet secured no di-
rect clue to the men who stole ex United
States District Attorney Patterson's box,
from under his nose almost, in the
National Bank of Delaware on Saturday
morning.
William T. Cole, Western Union
messenger, saw the man who stole the
box come out of the bank followed by the
other two men. Cole was going up town
to deliver a message and was riding on
the back of a wagon. The man who
had the box held it clasped to
his breast with both hands and
as he came out on the bank steps, looked
up and down Market street wish a
nervous, frightened anxious expression
on his face. This action attracted Coles
attention and suspecting something
wrong, he watched the man.
Cole has described him as short and
rather thick set, full-faced and wearing a
dark mustache Coles impression was
that he wore dark clothing. He was fol-
lowed out of the bank by the other two
men, whose appearance tallies with that
given by the frequenters Of Christy' s
cigar store, of the strangers who have
visited there during the past week.
Cole saw the man with the box cross
Market street at a good pace, diagonally,
going up His confederates kept on the
east side walk. Cole jumped from the
wagon and followed the man with the
box He turned into West Seventh
street and, when he saw Cole following,
kept looking anxiously back over
his shoulder. When he arrived
at Shipley street he turned up. Cole stood
a moment on the northeast corner watch
ing him, when one Of the thief's confed.
crates touched him on the shoulder and
caused him TO turn.
"Will you tell me where the Office OF
Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery
is?' asked the stranger.
They were standing beside the Office
and Cole pointed to it. The stranger
then asked IL man named Wilson wa.
connected with the office Cole told tn,
man to go in and see. and then looked foi
the man he had been following. BE haC
disappeared, probably turning int
| Eighth street.
Cole was asked to describe the mer
| this morning and tell what they did. II,
said the police had requested him not t,
| talk about the matter. and he had prom
ised to do so. The chief of police refused
to withdraw his request for Cole t,
keep silence and he declined t,
talk about the matter Cole has givei
the police a full description. If tn
/ police would make il public through tn
newspapers other persons who have seel
the thieves would be found an,
their route of escape discovered
1t is more than probable that the mel
who stole Mr.. PAttersons box have beei
in this city several days familiarizinj
themselves with the place and preparin
for a robbery on the Bank of Delaware
They went into the bank on Saturday {
carry out their plans, or take view O
its interior. While there the splendi
opportunity of taking Mr.. Patterson
box presented itself and was quickl,
taken advantage Of
The plot was probably for all three {
60 to the bank together between til
hours of "a noon aud p. m. wne
Cashier Henry Baird and another cler
had gone to dinner, leaving only Paying
teller Smith and another clerk
charge. That is an hour whe
comparatively few people 90 I
the bank and when there are less on 'th
street than at any other hour of the da,
One man would have guarded the doc
while the other two overpowered the t8
clerks and took what money they wantt
from the vault or desks.
l