The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-27
LOOTED THE BOXES.
Bank Officers Supposed They
Were Secure.
Yet in Some Mysterious Way the
Vaults Are Opened and the
Coin Taken.

OMAHA, Nebr., Oc'. %. - The fact was
made public this afternoon that the safety
deposit vaults section of the Omaha Ma
tlonal Bank had been robbed. and in so
dextereus manner that no clew to tho
way in which the work was done is obtain
able. Large sums of money have been
taken from boxes in the vaults. AMI the
exact amount of the losses cannot be
known until all have been examined.
The discovery was made more than two
weeks ago, and every precaution has been
taken by the bank officials to keep the
matter close secret. Chief of Police Sea-
Vey and one of his detectives have been
working industriously upon the case, aud
J. Ii. Willard, president of the Omaha
National Bank. has given the largest share
of his time since the discovery 10 an effort
to unrayel the mystery surrounding the
case. He has even made trip to Chicago
for the purpose of making a special inyes-
tigation into the workings Of the safety
deposit system in that C ty, to discover, if
possible, whether any important precau-
tionary measure had been neglected in the
Omaha vault system.
The priucipa loser is William Giadish
Mr.. Glsdish has been the lessee of box in
~
for a number of years. Last March he
placed in his box the sum of S2700 in gold.
On October he discovered that about
1920 Of the am ount was missing. He at
once notified Mr.. Willard, and an investi-
cation was commenced Mr. Willard
called in Chief of Police Seavey, AID
detective has had charge of the case ever
since. So far, however. all efforts to dis
cover the manner in which the money was
lost have failed. and the bank authorities,
as well as the police, are as much In the
dark as ever.
The discovery Of the losses overwhelmed
the Omaha National Bank officials with
perpleXity. They place every reliance
uPon the parties who have any connection
with the management of the vaults, and
are thoroughly in the dark as TO how the
losses could have occurred. Another party
reports that three 500 bills have been
taken from a box. President Willard
stated that the report of the losses
came to him as one of the
greatest surprises of his life. The
vaults are under the management Of
very esima able lady. who is in every way
fitted for the responsible position she oc
cupies. No suspicion exists that the losses
have occurred through her knowledge or
connivance. The safety vaults are con-
structed in the basement of the Omaha
National Bank building, near the corner o.
Thirteenth and Douglass streets. They
are modelled after the best systems in the
country, and the private boxes are sur
rounded with every safeguard that ingenu-
ity or science can devise. The lessee of
private box is first required to write his
signature in book and also upon a card.
together with his residence and other par
ticuars. He is then given private pass
word, and no two individuals have the
same password. 1t is suggested that per-
son not entitled 10 open any given box
may have secured possession of the keys
surreptitiousy. But the possession Of the
keys alone will not enable stranger to
open a box. He must upon presenting
himself at the safety vault present at the
same time a written order signed by the
owner Of the box, and be must also give
the private password. The bank officials
or detectives offer no explanation other
than the declaration that It is not due to
carelessness OF bank employees. All de-
posits are guaranteed bv the bank.