Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-31

a suit was fled at Dallas IN the dis
trict court day before yesterday which
reyiyes an old story. The plaintiff Is
Lee Riley, who will be remembered IN
connection with the robbery OF SOOVO
from the Farmers and Mechanics bank
Of this city in November. 1sS9. Kiley
was at that time driving a hack In DIAL
las. AMI was suspected of completely In
the robbery. A search OF his sleeping
apartments resulted In the recovery of
$1,000 In silver dollars, which were
claimed as the banks property. Three
hundred dollars IN bills were found in
the possession Of friend, to whom
Riley had entrusted the money for safe
keeping Riley was arrested and after
wards indicted for concealing stolen prop
eriy. He was convicted at the April
term. 1880. and sentenced 20 four years
in the peniteDtiary, but was pardoned
after three years confinement. He is
now employed IN some capacity IN the
Central theater. The suit brought Is
agains, S. NJ. Farmer, city marshal Of
Fort Worth at the time the robbery was
committed, aud his bondsmen- The com
plant recites that Farmer took from
Riley aud appropriated TO his own use
$500 In money and plaintiff asks judg-
ment for that amount and damages from
Farmer and the sureties on his official
bond.
The following clipping from The Ga
etc of Nov. D, 1889, recalls the story TO
mind.
For some weeks past the Farmers
and Mechanics National bank has had
a great demand for silver dollars to be
used by the heavy contractors in the city
In paying OF hands on Saturday night
A week ago Friday a number Of square
boxes each containing one thousand sil-
yer dollars, were received from the mint.
That night five boxes containing 5000
We're carried into the steel burglar-proOf
vault, and piled up, one ON top OF the
other. near the time lock safe. Satur-
day morning there was occasion TO use
some Of this silver and Cashier Rainey
told one Of the banks employees to open
one Of the boxes Of silver. When the
boxes were sought for they were gone,
aud up 10 this good hour not one dollar
of that 5000 has been seen.
OF course a diligent search was made
nt once and ried investigation set on
foot. but nothing has been learned. NJ
though several skilled detectives are at
work on tie case. The money was
there ON Friday evening, but It was gone
Saturday morning. No signs Of burg
lars work are PRESENT in fnct the vault
is 10 all intents and purposes burglar
proof Five thousand silver dollars
weigh 800 pounds. and u must have re-
quircd u conveyance to have moved the
money. The officials of the hank are
determined to ferret out the mysterious
Disappearance Of that silver. A clew was
obtnined yesterday morning which may
lead 10 the unraveling Of the case"
About one month latcr the officers
found the clew they were looking for
aud 1t cropped out in an unexpected
manner
=, Lee Riley. the plaintiff in the suit Just
filed. was, at the time 0f the robbery. a
hack driver In fltfa fffss 10 f,,f..
negotiations with Buck" Cooper TO es-
dthlish q variety thrater In Fort Worth
aud rendered Cooper 10 silver dollars.
Cooper took the money 10 the Farmers
aud Mechanics bank for deposit II was
hen noticed that the money bore the
suggestive numbers Of 1859" which
We're the same numbers on tho silver that
had been stolen from the bank. Cooper
explained that he got the money from
Riley. and he and Marshall Farmer went
over iO Dallas O. search for Riley
Riley was captured IA the Inter city
while In the act Of passing several hun
dred dollars in silver 10 the cashier OF a
bank 10 have Il converted into bills. Riloy
denied having anything 10 do with the
robbery, saying that while driving some
men in his hack at Fort Worth, he over
heard them say that they had committed
the robbery aud that the money was hid.
den IN a hole close TO railroad. Upon
10 INC boie and secured some M the
money. '"'
Wofford. the night Waterman OF the
in III rnhh,.rv NM ,vns arrest "a IN M
,i,y "' "'' ~ '''''
iil,v ,yos b,o,.ht over IN Fart Xvorb
ma esscor,,1 IN f6a Ma ~ ,ro,er ",S Ssr
hn s,id tha wcncv wos h}JSen T,yo
n,iccrs scarchsi HI tb" ooid vafer sop
thrce~uuarters Of an hour, and no money