Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-31
HIS STORY NOT CREDITED.
ALLEGED HOLDUP REPORTED TO
THE POLICE LAST NIGHT.
John HeiIman, of 11O6 baltimore Ay-
enue, Says He Was Robbed of
$1,000 in Money and Goods
Different Tales Told.

What may prove to be one of the boldest
and most successful holdups in the history
Oh h2nsaS City in late years. should the
police fail to disprove it, as they are now
trying TO do, was perpetrated at o'clock
last right in the Catholic book store at I1O6
baltimore avenue, which is owned by John
\. Eeilman. of Twenty-third street and
Baltimore avenue.
The story of the alleged holdup, as re-
lated by Mr.. Heilman, is that he had Just
hnished waiting on woman customer, who
passed out of the store after making sew
eral purchases. Immediately three masked
men, two of them carrying valises, entered
and ordered Mr.. Heilman to the rear of
the store. After making sure the front
door was locked, and breaking the wire on
M. Heilman's telephone one of the men,
who Mr.. Heilman says wore a long black
beard, held a revolver TO his head while
his pals filled their yalises with gold beads
and crucifixes, candles, valuable books,
Bibles, etc, such as Mr.. Heilman carries in
stock.
When this work was completed Mr.. He'll
man says the robbers opened his money
drawer and took out $50 in cash. They
then left. going south on Baltimore ave
nue.. Some time after the robbers had
gone, Heilman, evidently laborInS under
great excitement, ran to the fire insurance
patrol at III West Eleventh street and re-
ported that he had been robbed. The men
at the building saw no reason to doubt the
story, and telephoned an account of il TO
Central police station.
Detectives Hayes and Halpin were imme-
qlately detailed on the case. and reached
Hei!man's store just as he was closing up.
lie recounted the story of the holdup to
above. and said his loss in the goods taken
would reach S1.2O0. He said he did not
know the robbery had been reported to the
police.
The detectives found the telephone wire
broken, as stated. Lee Underwood of the
insurance patrol. stated that Heilman had
every appearance of a man under a Sc
yer nervous strain when he bolted into
the building ard shouted that he had been
robbed. This was twenty minutes, how
ever, after the alleged robbery took place.
and the robbers had ample time to escape.
Thirty minutes after the alleged robbery
Heiiman entered the little bakery of John
Levens, which adjoins his store on the
south, and told the story of the robbery.
Mr.. Ievens was loath to believe 1t, when
he talked to Journal reporter last night.
He said: Mr.. Heilman knew l kept load
as there was a light burning in my front
window, 1 do not see why ne did not come
in here at once and report the robbery in
stead of going away around on Eleventh
street to the insurance patrol. 1t has
been exceedingly dull with us all for some
months, concluded the baker. Heilman
told Ievens that his loss was $40 in cash
and about $500 in goods. He then recalled
that he had paid clerk called Mack
so yesterday evening. and then said his
loss in cash was only $50. Heilmau had
taken the precaution to lock his safe, and
was engaged in locking the front door of
his store when the detectives got there.
After leaving the detectives. Heilman met
Charles Bahr, an oyster man at 200 East
Twelfth street, in front of Scharnagels on
Walnut street, and told him he had lost
500 Bibles and $3.50 in cash. Heilman was
later in Spillanes saloon at Twelfth street
and Grand avenue, where ii is said he told
several different tales about the holdup. Of
ficer Anderson, who has the beat at Twelfth
and Main streets, stated last night that he
had heard of the robbery. and understood
$50 in cash and about $500 in books, ETC.,
were secured.
The police discredit Heilman's story of
the robbery because he did not report it
at once to police headquarters. and because
If the robbers entered the store so soon aft
er the departure of the woman customer,
as he claims. she must have passed them
on the doorstep. Three masked men with
revolvers and two valises would make al
most any woman scream with fright and
run for the nearest electric light. During
the past two years Heilman's store has
been several times discovered on fire, the
police claim, but was saved by the prompt
work of the fire department. The last fire.
however, resulted in a loss of 81. 200. which
was covered by insurance, so the police
claim. Inspector Flahive has instructed
Detectives Hayes and Halpin to investigate
the Heilman holdup thoroughly.