Evening journal., 1893-12-08
ROBBED A BANK BY DAY.
Took $4,000 From the Vaults
at High Noon.
BOLD THIEVES WHO LEFT NO cLBw.

Whhe the Sicfks were NJ binncf hoboefs
cropt Into the South Bend National
Bank. Helped Themselves to Gold aud
Groenbacks aud Escaped.
South BEND, Ind, Dec. s-The South
Bend National bank, one of the largest and
soundest banks In northern Indiana, was
robbed Of over $4,000 In broad daylight
while hundreds of people were on the street,
and the robbers succeeded in getting away
with their rich booty without leaving the
slightest clew.
Chief Benjamin Rose was at once in
formed and set his officers nc work imme-
diately, but no clew of any reliance has
been obtained. Every train or other means
Of leaving the city is carefully watched, and
the officers hope to obtain some tangible
clew soon. Chief Rose believes there were
no less than four men In the gang and pos
sibly more.
Cashier Myron Campbell remained at the
bank, which is in the heart Of the city, un-
til all employees were gone. He then, as
be supposed locked the middle door OF the
big vault and left everything in the usual
shape at the noon recess. II was 10 min
utes after l2 o'clock when he left AT 10
minutes Of he returned, entering by the
front door. He passed down the corridor
alongside the cashiers, collectors and other
desks, and turned TO his left to enter the
door opening back of this line of continu-
GUS desks. As he was about to enter the
door his foot struck a chisel
He picked It up, but thought nothing Of
the matter, as the plumbers had been In
the building and had passed by where he
found the chisel, and he thought they had
dropped it. Ten minutes later Assistant
Cashier John M. Brown showed him the
chisel.
A chiseI the Only Ciew.
Mr.. Browns suspicious were aroused to
such an extent that an investigation was
Immediately instituted, and the men found
a rear window open, the back door unlock
ed, and the door between the directors
room and the counting room broken. A
rush was then made for the vault The
door was as Mr.. Campbell had left IL. They
swung il back and examined the safe with
In. A glance showed that money had been
, taken, but they could not tell how much.
The police were at once notified, and busi-
ness went on about as usual. No particu.
lar effort was made to determine the exact
amount until the days balances We're made
up. when it developed that the robbers Sc
cured $4,000.
been watched for several days-perhap'
weeks. II is located on North Michigan
3 street and has an immense plate glass front
9 The cashier is located less than o feet from
X the front, and his desk, books and currency
n are always in plain sight from across thi
street. One can see clear through TO thl
Q directors room and all over the counting
, room. the vault doors being in plain view
l. At the doors and windows are heavy cur
Q tains but they were up at the time Of tn
, robbery, and every portion of the larg
n counting room was fully exposed, with
S stream of people continually passing ol
Q either side OF the street
n North Of the bank and surrounded ol
d three sides by a good sized yard is the Firs
National bank Two steps lead up TO
j wide portico in front of the latter bank
c and from it across to the north wall Of tn
J, first named bank building is an iron fence
Z As soon as Cashier Campbell was out q
n sight the robbers walked upon the Firs
g Nationals portico, stepped on the fence
r jumped down into the snow and made
Il straight line for the rear Of the bank, bao
+ Of which is a high board fence. A windo'
was then pritd open, giving admission A
! the directors room. The wood and glas
y door between this and the counting roor
was pried open and "A raid began on Oh
S vault.
Succeeded by Mere Chance.
n AS stated, Cashier Campbell locked thi
e or thought he did. IL is now pretty certai
that in turning the combination knob
n the middle door-the one depended on
the noon hour-he did not turn it "a
n enough to scatter the tumblers BY mel
chance the robbers happened to turn th
A.. the right way to unlock the door. Tn
done. the unlocked safe was before them.
The raid was well planned, as is show
by the fact that the Tobbers touched I
money that would be at once missed.
= top of the safe was tray containing 500
n Not a dollar of this was touched. Tn,
confined themselves to the safe, which Co
le tanned in the neighhorhood Of S25, 600, 81.
At 600 being gold. OF the gold only a, 900 WI
s. taken. The rest of the $4,000 stolen WI
in paper money-none in silver. On q
d cashiers desk was quite a sum of chang
al but nothing there was touched.
m The robbers then closed the vault do
to allay suspicion and left by the bas
he door, which they unlocked, leaving d
s- rear Of the building as they had approac
&c ed it. The chisel is the only object tn
appears to have been used II is made
steel and was purchased Of a local deal
four days ago There is every reason to /
lieve that the robbery was the work Of pI
m fessionals, as the preparations were p'
feet, and the men were probably full
a armed for action if caught ina tight pla,
y, Assistant Cashier J. +. Kelley of the FIJI
National bank resides in the rear of th
4. bank. Windows in his home give Il
no view of the window through which {
,es trance was gained to the robbed bank.
-, About the hour of the robbery q m
called him out to purchase potatoes ost'
40. sibly, but it is thought that TO distract
he attention was the object, while the r.
IN bers were effecting an entrance. Ere
~ footprints back of the big board fence shl
y. that some one watched from that quart
which is almost under the shadow Of I
as police station.