The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-04
A DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.
Sensation Over the Cincinnati Post
office Being Looted.

Sensation Over the Csacinnati Post
office Being Looted.
Cincinnati, O., Jan. S.-There was a
great sensation in the central part of
the city this afternoon on account of
exaggerated rumors about the daylight
robbery of the postofflce.
1t was after o'clock when Assistant
Cashier Frank H. Sparks was found
lying on the floor in an unconscious
condition by Janitor John Weise. No
noise had previously been heard about
the place, but when Weise' gave the
alarm an enormous crowd soon sur
rounded the building. When Postrnas-
ter Zumstein. Inspector Salmon and
Cashier Tucker arrived in the cash
ier's office, Sparks did not appear to
be badly hurt, although he had big
bump on his forehead. There was moth
ing whatever said about the money
! drawer being short 1867.
Cashier Tucker and the others
waited till Sparks took his lunch first,
and then they went to lunch. Sparks
was alone at 1870 p. m, when, he says,
two men entered the office and asked
| for small change for a So bill. While
| he was unlocking the money drawer
! one of them rushed through the small
| screen door, which happened to be open,
and soon they were upon him. He says
he dealt one of them a hard blow, but
was himself struck by pair of iron
knuckles and he knows nothing that
transpired from that time till he was
aroused by Janitor Weise.
The Waterman, who is constantly pa
| trolling the corridor, says that he saw
| no such men as Sparks describes either
enter or. leave the cashiers Office
| While all the police detectives, deputies
and inspectors have been working dur
| ing the afternoon and night on the
/ theory of a robbery, yet they have been
shadowing every movement of Sparks
! since he left the Office, as well as look
! ing out for either the robbers or accom-
plices. They say that it would have
been very plausible for the robber to
! have asked for change for a So bill so
as to locate the money drawer as we'll
as to get it unlocked before they rushed
| in on the man in charge of the Office.
| But the detectives go so far as to say
that Sparks injured forehead is not
the result of iron knuckles or of slung
shot being used on him, but of a bump
inflicted by contact with the vault or
something equally hard.
| On a centre table near the money
drawer were over $1,000 in envelopes
for the letter carriers, this being their
pay day. Although it was in trays that
could easily have been carried off, it
was not touched. Sparks thinks this
was because the envelopes were covered
by newspaper. There was a much
larger amount still in the vault
which was open and not touched.
This circumstance would weigh
in favor of Sparks were it not
for the fact this was the day for his
settlement. After paying off the car
iriers he should have had 1857 in the
drawer but the detectives are unable
TO ascertain whether he had any other
considerable amount in the drawer be-
fore the robbery. They refer with sus-
picion to the door being left open al
the time when the assistant cashier
was alone with 1867 in his own cash
drawer, another drawer equally fuli,
$4,000 on the table and the vault ac-
cessible. They are not only shadow
ing Sparks but also inquiring into his
habits and associates.
AS nobody was IN the Office except
Sparks when the robbery occurred, il
lis impossible to get anything except ii2
own statement The postoffice buil4-
ing adjoins Fountain square in the
center of the city, where the streets
are always crowded during the day
The fact of a daylight robbery in
such location had much TO do with
the local excitement Of the afternoon
and evening
Frank H. Sparks, thea ssistant cashier
OF the postofiiCe, was arrested tonight,
and shortly afterwards confessed that he
got away with the money himself. 1t was
S263.3O and ne was to settle as soon as
! Cashier Tucker returned from lunch
when he knew he would be caught While
Tucker was lunching Sparks took $685.. 6S
from the drawer, put the 1892 in bills be
tween the leaves Of a magazine and
S2l.2S in coin in an envelope, hiding both
After his confession he told where this
money was and the S583.6S was recovered
Sparks is married and belongs to a
good family. His friends Will make UT
the shortage of $3.50, but Inspector Sal
mon says that will not save him from
prosecution. Sparks will have 8, hearing
tomorrow