St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-16
.CHlCAGO'S BIG HOLD-UP.
A RAILROAD TREASURER ROBBED IN
THE R00KERY BUILDING.
HE. IS KNOCKED INsENsIBLE.
Two Hfghwaymen Attack j. A.
Drake, of the Indiana. Illinois
&.lowa Railroad. in His Private
Office and Get Away With
twenty Thousand Dollars
Work of Daring Criminals.

Z CHICAGO, Nov. 15.-J. A. Drake,
treasurer OF the Indiana. Illinois & Iowa
railroad. was assaulted in his office in
the Rookery building today and robbed
OF many thousands of dollars, which he
mad packed in the valise preparatory to
gong out upon the road to pay en-
ployes. A mail carrier. in passing Mr..
brakes Office, heard noise within,
and, upon entering, found the official
lying upon the floor. bruised and In
semi-cOnscious condition.
"l've been robbed by two men," said
Mr.. Drake feebly, and the opened safe,
overturned valise and scattered papers
confirmed his statement.
Mr.. Draka had evidently received
rough treatment. Big welts ON his head
bore evidence of savage blows. He had
puS little to say, but the sum of S25, 900
was mentioned as missing, and it was
soon understood that the robbers had
made away with that amount. Soon the
news OF the robbery had spread through
the big office building. and all kind of
Wild tales were circulated.
The central station detectives were
notified and Inspector Shea's men put
TO work on the case. The assaulted
treasurer was able to get OH his feet in
few hours and left the building. The
oflclals were very reticent and aid not
want to say much, although adm itting
that robbery had occurred.
The assault occurred about Z o'clock.
when there were but few people in the
building. No one about the place re-
members of having seen suspicious
characters, and dense mystery sur
rounds the affair, which Is one of the
boldest rObberies which has occurred in
Chicago for years..
The. result of long conference be-
tween officials of the road and Inspector
Shea threw but little light on the mat
ter. The detectives have but little to
work on, and just at present are cropping
about III the dark.
MIR. Drake came down early this
morning." said Inspector Shea, ''to
secure money to pay off along the line.
Ha TOOK $4,000 from the safe, intending
to leave on the 1880 train. He was fol-
lowed into the office by two ordinary
looking men and struck down and the
$4,000 taken. He was struck on each
temple, and his head bears the marks of
the blows"
Have you any clew to work on?''
"Um! Well, it shows that the people
who committed the robbery were we'll
acquainted with Mr. Drake's move
ments and knew the day he would leave
with money to pay Off"
Drake was struck as he was leaving
the vault. as his position on the floor in
Dictated He. could. give no very accu.
rate descriptions Of the robbers. 6uf in
dicated that they were, heavy, men and
wore large ulsters. While MIR. Drake
lay semi-conscious on the floor the rob-
bers unlocked his valiSe and scooped
the pay envelopes within large pockets
OF their ulsters. This work required
but moment, and they hurriedly made
their escape.
Occurring as it did in the Rookery.
one of the largest and best known office
buildings of Chicago, situated in the
heart of the business district, the rob-
bery caused intense excitement. Busi-
ness was almost at StandstilI in the
neighborhood during the day, and en-
ployers and clerks were equally ex-
cited over the sensational theft. The
office Of the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa
Railroad company is in charge of Sid
ney 5. Whitney, general agent for Chi
eago. f. NJ. Drake, president of the
road, has been out of the city several
days, and his son, John A. Drake, the
treasurer, only arrived here yesterday.
1t has been the custom Of
the treasurer to pay the employees
OF the road i'll checks. Had the custom
been continued the startling robbery
would not have been attempted in all
probability, but within the past week
the officials of the company decided to
pay the men in currency.
1t is thought probable that the rob-
bers learned this months pay roll would
go out in currency from a circular
which was issued the first of the
month, announcing that wages would
thereafter be paid in cash instead of
checks. These circulars were distrib-
uted all along the railroad among the
employees, and one of them could very
easily have fallen into the hands of one
of the thieves. The company pays
its men twice month, on the
1st and the 18th, and it was to
make the last November payment that
Treasurer Drake was starting out to do
when the robbers attacked him and
stole the 900 which was intended for
the railroad men. The news of the
robbery created hustle at the central
police station, the like of which has not
been since assassin Prendergast was
brought there after shooting Mayor
Harrison. The police oyerhauled many
suspects, and tonight it was reported
that detectives had arrested two men at
depot who refused to give an account
of themselves, and that they were
locked up at the central station. None
of the officers would admit that an ar
rest had been made