The San Francisco call., 1896-10-02
The Thief, an Old and Trusted
Employe, Was Caught in
the Act.
a TON OF PLUMBER MOVED
Why the u'prit Was Temporarily
Shielded From the Police Who
Had Been Called In.

A bold attempt was made early yester-
day morning to steal a ton of valuable
history plates from the basement OF the
Bancroft bnilding, at 723 Market street.
The guilty person was caught in the act.
The doors of the big building were closed
at o'clock Wednesday evening, and at 9
o'clock Janitor Mckenzie discovered the
Stevenson-street entrance to the elevator
was unlocked, although he was satisfied
that he had bolted it on the inside when
he closed the building.
AS property had previously been stolen
from the basement the janitor hastened
to tell the head bookkeeper, r. ]. A. Weir.
In the meantime Special Policeman Con
Kelly ana Policeman NJ. ]. Jimenez also
discovered that the elevator door was un-
locked, and they reported the matter al
headquarters and tried to find the janitor.
When the latter returned he found that
the thief had piled over a ton of book
plates in boxes on the freight elevator
and raised the lift almost to the level of
the sidewalk.
When Weir arrived after midnight he
saw at glance that the plates were those
of Bancroft's histories of California, Ne
vada and Mexico. Each of the thirty-four
boxes piled on the elevator weighed nearly
eighty pounds, or total of more than 3
ton, and the clutches on the elevator shaft
we're set to prevent the mass from falling
into the basement. To the company the
plates are worth several thousand dollars,
but to any one else not over $50 for old
tyne metal.
Weir telephoned to the police head
quarters and Lieutenant Birdsall commu-
nicated with Captain Spillana of the
CO. a s%rio NH or
Sergeant Donovan and half dozen police
officers to surround the building and
search the premises. An examination OF
the basement showed that the thief had
entered large vault under the sidewalk
and taken the boxes in the rear OF the
compartment SO as to leave the front IN
tact He must have worked hard to re-
move the ton of metal to the freight
elevator.
No intruder could be found, and it was
surmised that he had gone for wagon to
remove the plunder. Sergeant Donovan
secre;ed the policemen along the block,
but no vehicle appeared up tn 6 o'clock
yesterday morning, the time for the night
police to report off duty.
Soon after their departure an express
wagon drove 10 the elevator door and the
driver proceeded to put on his load. He
had hardly lifted the first block when he
was pounced upon by Weir and Janitor
Mckenzie, who were painfully surprised
TO find the thief was an intimate friend
and former employe of the company.
o. c. Richards was at once sent for, and
the thief made a full confession of his
guilt, stating that he was sorely pressed
for money. and his intention was to sell
the valuable plates for about cents a
pound.
The reason the fellow was not at once
turned over to the police and charged with
burglary was explained last evening by
Mr.. Richards. He said that the guilty
person was an old .employe OF the COM
pany and intimately acquainted with all
the employees.
Two years ago he lost his wife and since
then his courage, to say nothing OF con-
siderable money at the racetracks. At
times recently he was employed to do odd
jobs around the premises and had a full
run of the place.
No sooner had the mans mother and
sister learned of his disgrace than they
called upon Richards and pleaded to give
their relative another chance and not con-
denim him to felon's cell. Their appeal
seems to have. prevailed, for Richards has
not up to the present made known the
culprit's name.
1t is doubtful if the latter will ever be
prosecuted if he will tell who were his ac-
completes in the crime, for it is believed
that he did not operate alone He would
have to dispose OF the stun TO some one
who deals in stolen goods. Ii the fellow
does not tell he may yet be placed in the
hands of the police.
Several months ago six boxes of these
plates were stolen from the basement, ana
it is suspected that the same party was
the thief in that instance.
He must have hidden in the basement
when the doors were locked for the night,
as the elevator door could not have been
unfastened from the outside. The police
have found this door unlocked several
times within the past six or eight months.
Richards will have an interview with the
Chief to-day. and upon the fellows con-
duct depends his future.