Daily Republican., 1889-09-30
SNEAK THIEVES.
THEY GET NEAR THREE
THOUSAND DOLLARS.
A Telephone Made TO do Duty as q
Confedcrate-Thc Thieves
Mako Good Their
Escape.

CHICAGO, Sept. 2s.-Egeleston, NAL.
lette & Brownell, contractors, occupy a
handsome Office In the Royal Insurance
Building. Yesterday was pay day for
their big force OF men. Ia order that the
payroll might be got ready and the
moi oy put up IN packages for dislribu-
tion, Mr.. Mal.ette drew check for the
eotire amount Thursday, and cent clerk
TO the bank to get Il caslied.
The young man returned with $3.50 In
currency, and, placing the amount on bis
dssf, be sat down with the payroll to
count out and put In small envelopes the
various sumo due the men. The only other
persons In tho Office at the time were Mr..
Eggleston aud Mr.. Mallette. Both were
busy writing letters. Just as the clerk
began counting the money a weit dressed,
Roo1-iooking young man came int, the
onice and engaged iu conversation with
Mr.. Eggleston. A minute later another
young man came In through q different
entrance ard spoke to Mr. Mallttte.
AT that instant the telephone bell rang.
The clerk, elsncing up and seeing both
members OF the firm engaged IN conyer-
sat'on, LETT his desk To answer the tele-
phone, which Is hung In an adjoinIng
closet The frat stranger concluded
3: avHs.2:: jTiiisA NJ Egglsstee, ans
/ passing BY tie Clerks uesK, went out
through tho entrance the other man came
| In al.
Mr.. Eggleston went on with his letter.
writing. Then Mr.. Mallctt.'s caller
withdrew. Both members of the firm
were scratching away with their pens
when the clerk came cut oil the telephone
closet and told Mr.. Mallettc that Mar.
eha ], Field g. Co.. had q package for him
at their retail store on which they had
advanced charges, and had called up to
know where the package was TO bs
delivered. Mr.. Mallette said be did not
understand what they meant, and went
to the telephone himself.
There was no one at the other end OF
the wire, aud ths connection had been
broken. The clerk returned TO his desk.
The money was gone. His face grew
pale, his knees shook, and he conld
hardly control his voice long enough to
ask Mr.. Eseleston If he had taken the
money. That gentlemen replied that he
had not. Mr.. MAllette stepped from the
telephone closet and also denied having
taken the money.
Taen the clerk began to laugh. He
thought his employers were playing a
Joke on him because OF his careleepness
in leaving so lar1e e q sum of money ex-
posed. But the seriousness of the situ-
alton struck all threr, when they realized
that thty were victims OF one of the
most remar kab.e pieces of sneak thisv-
ing on record.
"What did your man want2" asked
Mr.. Mallete, turning to his partner.
| "He asked about the standing of som,
firm that never head Of. And youIsi"
"He asked II we were figuring on a
paving contract on the west side.n
| "fhe man who rang the telephone Nas
their confederate" said the clerS.
| All three rushed to the door EGd 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 1t was not at all strange that no
one could be found who had noticed the
two thieves. Up and down the street
ran tine TWO contractors and their clerk,
but the search awaited nothing. The
thieves had escaped with big bundle of
money.