St. Paul daily globe., 1891-09-15
HAD AN IRON NERVE.
The Fidelity Bank Robbery
Case Reads Like a Story
Book.
Albertson's Strange Agree
menu With officers Of
the Bank.
He Carries Away Nearly a
Million Dollars in Money
and Securities,
And Then Coolly Names the
Terms on Which He Will
Return Them.

TACOMA, Wash, Sept. 14.-The case
OF X. b. Albertson, the Seattle attorney
accused of concealing stolen property
in connection with the Fidelity bank
robbery, was called in court this after
noon. He is cousin of Edward Albert
son, the defaulter, VINO has not yet been
caught. Before the hearing COM
menced the original complaint against
X. u. Albertson was dismissed and one
of grand larceny substituted. The hear
Ing lasted all the afternoon and will
be continued tomorrow. The first
witness called was Thomas Wallace,
president of the Fidelity company, who
testified substantially as follows: On
the 22d OF August, Saturday night, E.
Albertson absconded with money be-
longing 70 tife bank. At 5 o'clock
Monday morning messenger de-
| livered letter to my house. On
opening it found it to be from E. A.
Aibertson. enclosing an agreement in
trlplicate and directions for me to meet
man named Chandler On Browns
point. got in buggy and drove to
Old Town. There I got skiff and
| "OAs W @|AOWh pOiAb Qltt lltsl UOdt-
man row me over. Mr.. Wallace pro-
duced the letter of instructions and
contract.
The Letter of Instructions
was written in ink upon letterhead of
the Fidelity Trust company, and was as
follows:
L. B. Wallace-Dear Sir: 1 am short in
my account Sl1, $50. being the aggregate of
the sums squandered by me at different times
since one year ago this month in speculation
haven't dollar left. Realizing the lmpos-
sibility of replacing il, Deing IN constant
dread of detection, have become desperate,
and left. The amount of securities taken
from the safe in addition to this
cash is over 100000, which includes all the
company,s notes, collateral and land COM
piny's contracts. In addition to this 1 have
changed all the combinations after locking
all the bank books in the steel vault If you
VIII Sign three papers in triplicate herewith
in the presence of two witnesses have the
same duly acknowledged, deliver all three to
Fred n. Chandler, at Browns Point on or
before o'clock Sunday morning (see dir
rections below how to meet him) he viii de-
liver to you all securities, etc., valued at
S9OJ,000 and the key to ali the safe doors.
You can commence business at the usual
hour. My personal notes of $1,000 have de-
stock you will get if you will meet Chandler
with the papers duly executed. You will
find the companys seal in the drawer at the
end OF Denman's desk. Any time between
and O'Clock on Monday morning you viii
get all above as stated and be
Ready for Business,
with theiloss of just $4,000 Refuse to exc
cute and deliver the papers and securities
valued at over 100000, none of which ex-
cept the companys notes, has the company
any record of, will be burned, and it will cost
you $1,000 to $4,000 to open and replace the
vault and safe doors, and four to six
months time in which to do it.
You yourself well know at the lowest esti-
innate 1t will cost you not less than from
100000 to S2O0,OO0 of the above, besides
trouble, to get the balance, and. besides this
loss in actual money, just IMAGINE the cost to
the company through the loss of confidence
oil the puollc and the absolute suspension of
business for month. To sum up-accept
| the conditions and lose S20.000 which
| people need not know about. Reject them
and lose-make your estimate out of
absolutely suspend business. You can't pay
any checks as you have no balance books to
go by, and you dare not draw on New York
and San Francisco for both accounts are
wrong. / have made memorandum and left
IN the safe just how the shortage lies.
E. A. ALBERTsoN.
Directions for Meeting Chandler.
Get man to row for. you (if you want
him) to row you 10 Browns point. Before
rounding the point you will see a pole stick
|
kerchief attached to it, At this place be-
tween the hours of and o'clock Monday
morning, Aug. "a, land your boat and leave
your oarsman in it. You will at once see
Chandler, who will direct you how to reach
him. When there, hand him three papers,
ana. II duly signed, witnessed and acknowl-
edged he will place in your hands the arti-
ces mentioned in the agreement, when you
viii at once sign a receipt for them. ANY
attempt to intimidate or parley with Chandler
will be of no avail. and will only result
of your disadvantage, and if you come with
more than one man, or have any boat follow
| and precede you, or should you fail to be
there by o'clock, Chandler will be gone and
all books and papers will be destroyed. Your
only hope of recovering those papers, valua-
bles, ETC., will be for you to carry out these
instructions to the letter. E. a.
Mr.. wallace Continued:
delivered the agreement to Fred n.
Chandler, accomplice of the Albertsons,
on Browns Point Sunday morning.
Agreement was that Fidelity company,
in consideration of return of securities
to the company, agreed not to prosecute
Albertson. On the back was the re-
ceipt from the company. 1t stated
that we were not to prosecute
Albertson and Chandler. / signed the
| papers, and | went to Old Town and
procured boat and rowed to Browns
Point. Chandler was standing on the
the embankment when / arrived. He
said to land and come to the foot of the
bank. The bank was perpendicular.
went up to where he was
and asked him if his name
was Chandler. He asked me to
follow him into the woods. We went
about a fourth of mile. He did not
| seem TO know where they were. He
| found two packages &iSferent places.
After searching he found them under
some logs. took both packages. Th1y=
contained notes and collaterals. [
| satisfied myself that they were genuine
! and gave him the agreement. / asked if
AlbertSon had taken his wife and chill
dren. He said 10. we had nothing to
dowith it. He said: you'll probably
hear from me in few days. I'n send
you some money" No money was
in either package, and no bank
notes. They contained notes,
certificates of stock, warrants
| AHA land contracts valued at 5000, 700.
/ There was also a new combination for
the safe. l returned home, took the
combination and opened the vault and
safe doors. Theirs was $4,000 gone in
money currency and Sc, 900 drawn out
of our New York account. He had
stopped the time clock by putting
stocks into the cog wheels. To the best
of my knowledge the securities were
taken Saturday, Aug. %. The bank has
received all the property taken but
1000. The defendant, r. B. Albert
son, came into my Office on the second
Monday after this occurrence and in