The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-06

Fifteen thousand and seven hundred dol
lars was taken from the Exchange Nation
al bank of Ell Dorado, two weeks ago. Mon
day last. There was left by the robber in
the safe 900.
Within . comparatively few hours after
the robbery the EAGLE knew it. 1t tele-
graphed for particulars, but an attempt
wa. made to throw 1t off the track.
The EAGLE, always in front in publish
ing the news, kept on Investigating, aud
the officials of that bank through agents,
pleaded with the EAGLE to keep the news
back until the thief WAS caught. which
they said WAS daily expected.
They agreed that when definite
action was taken the EAGLE should
be notified first. They sent one
special messenger first and later Chief
Cone The EAGLE, in the hope that the
thief would be taken, acceded. Yesterday
the bank violated the az reement by issuing
circular to its patrons before it Informed
this paper.
But despite the bank, the EAGLE is this
morning prepared TO give the first and the
complete account of one of the strangest
bank robberies known to the authorities
the world over.
KEEPING IT SECRET
For almost three weeks the robbery has
been a sealed story to every one but the
pinkertons. Chief Gone and the EAGLE
which has facilities for knowing every
thing that happens in southern Kansas
and Oklahoma. There were not half a
dozen people in Ell Dorado who knew it
a week ago. The families of the bank Of
ficers were as much in the dark as
ANYBODY. Notwithst anding the newspa-
per men of Ell Dorado We're uniformed up
to yesterday of the matter, the EAGLE has
known every move that has been made.
The authorities and detectives who nave
been working on the case IN
the first place demanded abso-
Lutte secrecy and they have gained tier
wishes with singular success, rs nothing
has ever been kept so quiet as this loss.
THE DISCOVERY is MADE.
On the evening of Saturday, March II,
Vice President q. w. Brown and J. ID.
Rearlck, assistant cashier, the paying
teller and one book-keeper closed the
hank. at the usual hour i'll the afternoon.
II was not until perhaps an hour later
fthat the paying teller, as was his duty,
placed some of the money which had been
Sut during the day, back into the
safe and locked the combination.
After lie had done this, ne
set the Yale time-lock on the ouf side. He
fixed it so it would run all that night, ali
day Sunday ana Until D o CLOCK a. H. Moi
day morning.
The paying teller took a survey of the
money inside of the safe and shut the
doors, those of the safe and the vault.
HOW THE MONEY WAS LEFT.
safe in his mind when he closed the heavy
doors On the top of the shelf Were % on
one side SO 900 in large currency, ~ on
the other side eleven 500 packages of
currency; (S) in the center silver certifi-
Gates to large amount. Below this shelf
We're five bags containing each $1,000 in
gold coin There were a number of bags
of silver with the gold bags.
The paying teller was perfectly familiar
with the manner in which the money
was placed He had closed the safe day
after day, and while the bags of gold were
not touched often, the currency WAS
moved daily. The teller is certain about
how the money was deposited on the
shelves.
WHEN THE BAGS DISAPPEARED.
Sunday the paying teller met Mr. Gard
finer. the cashier, who told him that he
was going away on Monday, early. and
would want some money. They arranged
to meet in the bank at O'Clock Monday
morning. The time lock had run down.
The com bination on the safe was still
locked. The teller opened the safe and
fedCDcG III, duu Adboco MI paioiASi SUMO
money.
But the teller wasn't satisfied with the
way the safe looked and in few minutes
returned and looked again.
THAT money is not Ms l left it Saturday
night," he said, and a moment later, at
has been tempered with. There has been
robbery"
The money WIS not as he had left it.
He saw at glance that two bags of gold
coin. containing s., 900 each were gone.
He noticed too, that eight of the eleven
packages containing $500 each, were gone,
and the remaining packages had been laid
down on the side, as If the robber bad at
tempted TO fill up the hole he had made.
He counted the currency in the center
ot the shelf and found 81, 200 gone. o. in all
E5.70o. La laying the pact ages down
aatly, it was evidently the plan of
lie robber TO fill up the hole he had made
and thus hide the deed for days, perhaps.
The teller saw that there had been rob-
berry and notified the rest of the officers,
all except MIR II. II. Gardiner, of course,
who had LETT for the east
FINDING THE AMOUNT.
Avoiding all appearances of excitement.
the officers. President A. L. Redsien. Vice
President G. w. Brown, Assistant Cashier
]. ID. Reariek, the teller and the book
keeper went TO work TO find out their
loss. 1t did not take long TO figure this
NJ, and IL was with profound astonish-
ment that they found that the
bank was $500 short. The Pinkertons