The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-16
The Dalles, Or, Office Loses
$4,000 in Gold Coin.
wATcHMAN WAS OFF DANCING.
The Thieves Leave $1,000 in Silver,
bat Take Away All the Clues.
The Big Leg Raft LIKELY 10 Go TO Pieces
-Bsptist Cisrxymen Denoance Hop
Growing as Un- Christian and Those

The DALrEs, Or, Oct i5--The Pacific
Express office here was robbed of $4,000
early yesterday. The money was shipped
from Portland on the regular Oregon Rail-
way & Navigation train, which arrives
here ct IL p. N. For some time the banks
here have been obliged to obtain large
amounts of silver from Portland. to pay
the fishermen and farmhsnds. The rob-
bers evidently knew this fact, and made
their plans accordingly. Agent f. \. Hill.
after aauling the strong box from the
train TO the office, went away and did not
return until shortly after midnight
When he returned he found the contents
OF the box gone. with the exception OF
81. 600 in silver. The authorize. were noti-
ned at once. and the matter was kept
secret. Detectives are here from Portland,
watching every avenue of escape. The
most plausible theory advanced 10 that the
robbers seereted themselves in the back
room of the express Office and waited for
the agent TO leave the building. as no doors
nor locks were forced open. They must
have known also that the express messen-
ger. who sleeps in the office, was away
attending to the horse in stable near BY.
The robbers. being unable to carry all the
silver. left 81. .000 of the silver consignment
to French & Co. in the box
Lsdd & Tilton, of Portland, shipped
$40, GO: 81. 500 In gold and s.. 500 In silver,
consigned TO French a. Co. The First Ma
tional bank, of Portland. sent s., 600 in
gold. consigned to The Dalies National
bank. 1t seemed that the silver proved
too heavy for the robbers and they aban-
doned the idea of trying to get away with
the entire swag. The county iair has been
in session for q week past, which attracted
q large number Of gamblers and toughs TO
this city. Mr.. Beckwith, agent at Port
land, is here. and this afternoon he stated
that he and Detective simmons, of Port
land, were working on several clews, but
up to a late hour N arrests had been made.
4. G. Gentsch, the general Superintendent
OF the Pacific Express Company, at Salt
Lake, has been notified of the robbery, and
is now on the way here He is expected
to arrive At The Dalles tomorrow.
City Messenger Charles Tibbets, whose
duty IL Is to meet the night trains and
keep watch in the office at night, was
attending bali, and F. n. Hill. the COM
pany's agent. met the east-bound train,
No. ?, from Portland, and received the
treasure box. He then. in company with
City Wstchman Gibbons, drove to the
Office. deposited the box inside the rear
door, and about IL 80 p. m. left for the
postofiice TO deliver the mail. which came
in on the same train. City Marshal
Blakeny rode back to the express Office
with the agent, where they met NJ. A.
Moody, cashier of The Dalles National
bank. waiting to receive his money and
place il in the banks vaults.
The three men entered the office,
and. seeing that something was wrong
with the box, Immediately began
an investigation. which resulted in
finding only 81. 600 in silver in the treasure
box. The lid OF the box had been broken
With an instrument made from q steel drill
With one end crooked and sharpened
which they found on the floor near by.
The robber had tried to pry the staple
from its position. but, failing. had broken
the lever of the paddock. Aside from thi
tool and q few tracks in the street, there ia
no clue whatever that can be traced, so far
as is known at present That only one OF
two men participated in the robbery il
evident from the fact that the bulky silver
was thrown aside and the gold stolen,
weighing considerably over 100 pounds.
PORTLAND. Oct i5.-The Pacific Express
Company will offer n reward OF s., 500 for
the capture Of the robbers and recovery oi
~