Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-23
DONE BY EXPERTS.
A Real Scientific Job of Safe
Cracking.
FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS STOLEN

Unknown Thieve. Get into Safe ut Hur-
ley, Wis. and Get Away with Its Coa-
tents-They Find the Combination While
the Cashier Is Absent and Leave No
Ciew Behind Them-The Whole Job
Completed in an Hour and Halt
ASHLAND. Wis. sept aS-The most
cleverly planned, daring, and successful
bank robbery in the criminal annals of this
state Was executed at Hurley at midnight
Friday, when the Iron Exchange bank was
entered by robbers and nearly $40 600 in
cash, left there for the night by the United
States Express company, was taken
Periodically the Ashland and Germania
Mining company pays off its employees,
numbering over loco, who work in the iron
mines near Hurley. and for this purpose
Sal, 200 was shiptsi from the Ashland Ma
tional bank to Hurley Friday night The
treasure was shipped in dozen sacks, and
upod its arrival in Hurley, little after 9
O'Clock, il was removed to the Iron Ex-
change tank in a whselbarrow. Tue time
lock of the safe inside the vault had been set
and the cash could not be put inside of it
The company's agent consented to have the
money placed in the vanlt outside the safe for
the night 1t was not considered a deposit,
and the agent was given no receipt.
They Knew the Combin alton.
Cashier Reynolds remained in the bank
until shortly after 10 O'Clock, when he left
the builiing and went down town with
friend. IL was between this time aud II 25,
when the cashier returned to Retire for the
night IN the room which he occupies IN the
bank, that the robbery was accomplished
At least two men performed tue work, 1t is
thought The marauisrs entered through
transom over the rear door, a there was no
| other way for them TO get in without the
fact becoming known. The vault door was
opened without a scratch being made upon
IT, and the lnexplicable feature OF it was that
1t was done by some one who knew the COM
bination. Cashier Reynolds however, states
| that no one but hims.lf and his assistant
Leonard Perrin, knew the important secret
The Amount of the ''Swag"
or the s4l, 40 the sum Of So. S:l5 was
taken by the burglars The remaining
sl,SI1 was in small silver change and too
bulky 10 carry away. The cashiers theory
Is that the greatest portion Of the money
was -planted' at a short distance from the
| bank, as no progress could be made by the
poSsessors Of it because Of its weight
Nearly slI,OOO Of the money taken was in
gold pieces of IS, $40, and so denomina-
tons, and the balance was in bank notes
scarcely any OF them icing larger than
| twenties and most Of them ones, twoes, and
ives The robbers did not leave the most
| minute clew 10 their identity. No one saw
/ them enter or leave the bank They must
| have been pCssessei OF wonderful GOODNESS
and confidence. They evidently took the
bags containing the "swsg' into Cashier
Reynolds sleeping room, cut them open to
ascertain which contained gold and which
| silver, and then went their way.
Cashier Reynolds, when seen Saturday
night, said that no one but himself and As
sistant Cashier Perrin had ever obtained the
| combina ton of the vault door, Agent Al
| exander, of the United States Express COM
pany, was not very much concerned, aud
| said it was something that was liable to hap.
pen any time. The company, Alexander
| thought, would not place any blame upon
him There is likely to be question grow
| ing out OF the robbery as to who will suffer
| the los, the bank or the express company.
| As the latter's agent had no receipt for the
| funds 1t can not be seen how they can hold
the Iron Exchange bank for the amount
The Cashier Has an AiibI
Nobody connected with the bank is sus-
pecied, bat it isimpossible TO conjecture how
the combination of the vault was learned
| Cashier Reynolds after leaving the bank
went to the theater with George H Hooper
| He returned to the bank in company with
| Mr.. Lombard, and then the robbery was
| discovered They stood on the corner talk
ing, when Mr.. Reynolds, happening TO look
up, noticed through the bank window that
the vault was partly open. Alarmed at
the sight, be entered the bank and made a
hasty examination. He found that the two
doors Of the vault had been opened and all
the money, excepting about 81. OO0 in silver,
| distracted