The San Francisco call., 1895-12-02
CUT THE CHURCH FLOOR
A Burglar Secures the First
Presbyterian Monthly
offerings.
SUPPOSED TO BE KIMBALL.
A Warning Received Saturday That
Church Specialist Was
in Oakland.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI

90S Broadway, Dec. 1.
Burglary was committed at the First
Presbyterian Church, Oakland during
divine service this morning. The floor
was cut away from beneath a locker, the
monthly offerings of about $125 were re-
moved from the plates and the burglar
slipped through the hole and escaped
through the basement.
DR.. Brinckerhoff is the treasurer of the
church and on the first Sunday OF every
second month, which is communion Sun
day, he locks the offerings in a closet that
is in the vestibule and returns to the sac
rament. The money is counted sfterward.
This morning he locked up the money as
usual and when he went to bring it out
that the elders might count it the plates
were empty. A glance at the floor showed
very plainly the whole proceeding. There
was hole about two feet square and the
mating was turned back. From the
stringer imm ediately alongside of the hole
was neat little rope-ladder hanging from
the beam by two clumsy hooks. The hole
and ladder and empty plates told the
story.
An examination of the locker and base
ment showed the scheme to be very
| thorough one. One OF the planks had
been bored through from the top, showing
! that the work was done by some one in
the locker. The other ends were bored
| through from the bottom. In order to
make everything solid, the burglar had
screwed bsttens beneath the ends OF the
! cut pieces and had tackled the carpet on
| top. After the money was placed in the
| locker the boards could easily be pushed
back from underneath by any one on the
rope-ladder. Half minute after the
treasurer had turned the key the plates
could be emptied and the thief escape from
| the basement.
"Our usual collection on communion
Sunday morning is about $l25,'' said Rev.
DR.. Coyle, land the thief evidently knew
ali the routine of the church work, as the
collection is only placed in that locker once
| in two months"
In yesterdays CALL appeared letter
from San Quentin referring to man who
has just been working" Oakland. The
letter read
Beware of one calling himself "Bayard Sa-
VILE" and, am informed, now travelling un-
der the name OF John G. Kimban. He is an
| arrant scoundrel and confidence man. Minis
| ters and churches are his specially. Ee has
beaten and tried to beat nearly all the minis
ters OF San Francisco and Oakland and numer-
Gus others; also hotels, etc. Give him wide
berth, and ''trust him not, he is foo1ng thee.
! Put brother ministers on their guard, and, II
possible, catch him and deliver him 10 the
| police, as it would be an act OF real genuine
| benefit to society and churches in particular.
DIR. Coyle said to-day that he did once
give Bayard Saville dollar and thought
! the robbery of the collection might be ex-
planned if .'Sayillen could be found.
Detective Holland says 1t is just such
work that might be expected of Kimball.
He has not been seen in Oakland since
last Monday week." said the detective,
''but he probably has laid around for this.
1t is an inside job and Kimball is just the
man for it. 1t has been done since Thurs
day because the janitor adjusted a window
in the basement on that day and some of
the new chips are on the window. 1t is a
splendid piece of work and is not the first
one its perpetrator has done."
The burglar had taken no chances.
When he got into the locker he inserted a
key into the inside of the lock. Had any
one tried to enter before the job was fin
ished there would have been ample
time to escape before the door was forced.
The rope-ladder was strongly constructed
out of some old cord that was in the base
ment, and the hooks were made from two
pieces of wire used for electric lighting.