The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-18
LOOKING In THE SAFE.
The Council Searching for Dave
Denney's Money.
NO TRACE or n CAN BE FOUND.
After hearing wifnesses the Iavestigat-
tag Csmmtttee C.nnst Locate the
Police Department Thief.

IOuEcisten lWzc0Su, w 9llukiOfu oHQ
Hall, who compose the committee from
tine common council appointed 70 invests-
gate the matter OF the theft from the safe
at police headquarters Of the SOS. s. found
on Dave Denney. held meeting in the
Office of Chief OF Police Thornton last
night and conducted the preliminary ex-
animation. Councilman Hall was ap-
pointed chairman. and the committee were
assisted by Justice Rivers, who Piled the
witnesses with searching questions. and
made up for what the committee did not
understand of Law.
The session lasted three hours, in which
time they learned that the money had been
taken, and very shortly after il had been
first placed in the safe. During the exam
ination the police officers who were exam
ined succeeded in giving the councilmen
some hard knocks about the reward which
the council ordered for Denney's capture.
and which has never been paid. As for 10
eating the guilty party. the investigating
committee were just as ignorant of that
fact when they concluded the examination
as they we're before they began il.
The committee opened the examination
by closely examining the daily register
sheet for the date of January u and COM
pairing II with the record book They
found the sheet to bear witness to the fact
that $l03 S. was found on David Denney,
and the record book showed the same. But
q closer examination OF the latter showed
that il had been tempered with and two
figures erased, but iatterly replaced. The
erasure was done at first with knife and
finished off with an eraser. Chief Thorn
ton explained that ne had ordered the two
figures. 1 and the cipher. to be replaced
on the books, but that when he first saw
the account they had been erased.
Notwithstanding the accounts in the
record book and the register sheet there
was not q cent of the money in the safe,
and ii was more than evident that some
one had removed 500 from the sum IN the
safe and attempted to cover the theft up
by altering the books, and on after thoueht
had decided to take the whole sum and
the package in which it was contained be-
sides.
The first witness called was Captain
Kinley, who testified TO having received
the money when Denney was arrested and
placing 1t in the safe. But he claimed that
he had not seen any part OF it since.
Ex-chief Mitchell was then called upon,
aud testified that he saw by the records
that the money had been placed in the safe.
but that he had never seen it, He ex-
planned that Clerk Bracket and Captain
Bigelow were the only two who had the
combination to the safe at the time. But
he also said that he had to reprove the
clerk several times for leaving the safe
doors wide open In the presence of visitors
in the room and other people. He said
that 1t was the duty of the clerk alone to
transfer the records and have the sole
charge of the record book, but he further
stated that other men Oh the force knew
where it was kept. and if SO inclined,
might take it and tamper with the records.
Mr.. Mitchell said he had no suspicion of
avy one.
Ex-Cierk Bracket followed Mr.. Mitchell
rs witness. He claimed that he made
the transfer from the register sheet to the
record book. but did not examine the safe
to see II the package he was recording
was there. He said that he had never
noticed the erasure on the book before UNI
til his attention was called to it, and
furthermore. that he didn't think it posi-
BILE that anybody could have tempered
with the books while he had charge of
them without his knowledge.
Lieutenant Peer was then called. He
stated that the last he saw of the money
was when Captain kinley LETT the main
room OF the station to place it in the safe
Lieutenant Willard, Lieutenant Sullivan,
Officers Harding, Philbrick. Ramage,
Void and Detective Rogers were ali placed
upon the stand, but their testimony was
simply corroborative.
Captain Harry Bigeiow. when called
upon, stated that he did not see the pack
age in the safe the next evening after Dem
ney's arrest. when he came on duty. and
that would point conclusiveiy to the fact
that il must have been removed very
shortly after it had been placed in the safe
Chief Thornton was the last witness. and
he testified that when he took Office Chief
Mitchell showed him Denney's pistol i'm the
safe but did not point out anything else
of his property, which in itself was q singu-
lar proceeding.
At this point the meeting was adjourned
at the call of the chairman.
The whole testimony introduced did not
clear up very much of the mystery as to
where the money has gone to, but 1t salts
fed the counciimen that the business in
police headquarters and the preservation OF
the records had been done in very poor
ard zass 10