The herald., 1897-05-28
BOLD BURGLAR
He Walks Into the
Sheriff's Trap
fR'ED p. 70 ROB a SAFE
IN THE WILCOX BUILDING AND
ARE CAUGHT
WhI. Part Played by a Plucky Girl.
The Scene Was Laid In Poindex-
ter q Wadsworth's Office

Nslis
One Of the cleverest captures of
desperate criminal made in this city for
4 long time was accomplished yester-
day by the sheriff's office. A trap was
laid for the unsuspecting burglar and
he walked right into it and was caught,
and now lies in a cell at the county jail.
The capture was made at $50 o'clock In
the office Of Poindexter & Wadsworth,
In the Wilcox block, in broad daylight,
and after binding and gagging Miss
Clara Gammage, the lady stenographer,
ard rifiing the safe, started to leave,
but was met at the door by three depu-
ties from the sheriff's office, who COM
manded him at the point of their re-
volvers to throw up his hands.
Several days ago information
reached Sheriff Burr that there was u
plot on foot among some expert crooks
who are sojourning in the city to crack
number of large safes in different
offices This information came through
party who was supposed by the crooks
to be one of their number, but who was
in fact working in conjunction with the
sherif's office.
Poindexter & Wadsworth's safe had
been selected as one of the first to be
operated, upon. This office was thought
to offer unusual inducements to safe
crackers. 1t is most always left early
in the afternoon in charge of Miss GAM
mage, the stenographer, who keeps the
keys to the safe.
When Sheriff Burr learned of this plan
he laid the matter before Mr.. Poin-
dexter and asked his assistance in a
scheme to capture the burglars. The
dummy, or detective, who was working
up the case, was to accompany the real
crook into the office, and they were to
te surprised while at work by sheriff $
posse Miss Gammage was told about
the arrangement and agreed to the part
which she was to play.
The two men who were known to BE-
implicated in the plot to rob the safe,
as we'll as the detective, were pointed
out to Mr.. Poindexter. This all hap
pened in the early part of the afternoon.
Shortly before the closing hour one of
the robbers. whose name was later
learned to be Frank Wood, came up to
the Office and made some inquiries about
some fictitious person, with the object OF
seeing how the land lay.
At 5 o'clock Sheriff Burr and Deputies
Guy Woodward and White stationed
themselves in DR.. Wells Office which is
across the hall directly opposite Poin-
dexter & Wadsworth's office. Mr.. Poin-
dexter took all the money except about
ten dollars and the valuable papers from
the safe and deposited them in the bank
Then he and Mr.. Wadsworth went down
stairs and, getting into a carriage, drove
10 the chamber of commerce to await
developments. AS they passed the Hol-
lenbeck hotel they saw the men who
had been pointed out to them watching
their movements.
Miss Gammage was left alone in the
office The plucky girl busted herself
with some accounts and coolly awaited
the arrival of the burglars. She was not
kept in suspense long, for at about 5:3
two men walked into the room, closing
the door after them. One was the de.
tective and the other was the real rob.
ber, whose name is John Marcel
Marcel walked over to Miss Gammagt
and said:
Give me the keys to the safe"
Miss Gammage refused aud the rob
Der repeated the demand. She refused
again, and then he drew a revolver and
showing it into the lady'e face, asked
third time for the keys. When she still
refused he drew a gag from his pocke
and showed it into her mouth, then h,
produced coil Of rope and bound he,
down in her chair. When he had fin
ished he began search for the keys ant
soon found them.
During this time the dummy robbie
had been standing guard at the door
AS soon as he had secured the key
Marcel opened the safe and took on
what money he found. There We're tw
small drawers in the safe, which wer
locked.
'Is there anything in these two sma
drawers?" he asked Miss Gammage
She shook her head. The robber the
produced chisel and soon had pried tn
drawers out. In one he found an Of
watch. The other was empty
When he had finished his work the tw
men turned to go. AS they opened tn
door they were met by the sheriff
posse, who showed their revolvers int
their faces and demanded Hands up!
Two pair of hands went up like a flasl
and the men We're soon handcuffed an
taken to the county Jail. There the
gave their names as Geo. Wilson an
John Marcel. The other robber VIII
had stood on guard at the foot of II
stairs while the work was being dor
was later captured by Deputy Sheri
Manahan ir Blacks poolroom on Sprir
street.
"A great deal of the credit of the ca,
fure is due to the GOODNESS and pluck
Miss Gammage, who passed through Il
entire ordeal without flnching
But little is known of the robbel
previous records, although it was stat
by Sheriff Burr that they have long re
ords in the east and are adopts in the
line. They are said to have been ope
ating recently in San Francisco a
came down here to do number Of jo
which had already been planned. 1t
understood that Marcel and Flood {
the two men whom the officers were
ter. Wilson, who played the part of I
detective, was also locked up. but W
doubtless be released when the matter
explained in court.