The San Francisco call., 1898-05-30

MADEIRA, May 29.-If there Is any mystery concerning the details of the alleged robbery of Deputy Tax Collec- tor Krohn it has not yet been solved. Circumstances have developed that are held by some to point to a conclusion not in accordance with the story told by krohn, but they have served no more definite purpose than to accentu- ate the bitter feeling the majority of the people in this community hold against those who pretend to look with suspicion on the story told by the pop ular young official
 Krohn is still confined to his room from the effects, so his physician states, of the beating he received at the hands of the two masked robbers. His numerous friends are permitted to see and converse with him, but newspaper correspondents are excluded. To all queries the reply is that Krohn does not care to be interviewed. This re- luctance on his part to discuss the de- tails of the alleged robbery is unfortu- nate, as 1t leaves the public in doubt on several important points that, as the case now stands, are certainly not in Krohn's favor.
 One of these points has to do with the question of the time at which the supposed robbery occurred. On the day following the robbery Krohn stated he was attacked by robbers at about 10:30 o'clock in the evening, and that during the struggle that ensued a pane of plate glass in the counter railing was shattered. Several persons who were near the office heard the crash of the breaking glass and all agree that 1t occurred at 11:25 o'clock-f1fty-five minutes later than the time fixed by Krohn.
 This fact, taken in connection with KrOhn's statement concernino the time lock on the steel safe inside the large vault. forms a bit of circumstantial evidence that is troubling the minds of the friends of the young man. The cash was kept in this steel safe and Krohn says the time lock on the safe was set for II o'clock. In other words. the safe could be opened by any one familiar with the combination before Ii o'clock, but after that hour no one could open it until a fixed hour on the following morning. According to Krohn's story, he was held up at 10:3O o'clock and was told to open the safe. He replied that he could not, as the time lock was on. The robbers said they knew the time lock did not begin to work until II o'clock, and If he did not comply with their demand they would kill him. Krohn then went to the safe and opened it.
 One of the robbers footed the safe, and then both attempted to lock Krohn in the vault. During the struggle that ensued the glass was broken, Krohn was beaten into insensibility and the rob- bers escaped with the coin.
 All of these things are supposed to have occurred within the space of ten minutes. The glass was broken at 11:25 reasonable doubt by the testimony of three or four reputable witnesses, who heard the crash and located the noise as coming from the interior of the Tax Collectors office One of these wit nesses is Night Watchman Tooker, who was within 150 feet of the office at the time. He, in company with others made an immediate investigation, but was unable to discover anything. Pre- Suning that the glass was broken ten minutes after the robbers first entered the place, and after they had obtained possession of the cash, it follows that the time when Krohn was fored to open the time when Krohn was forced to open did open the safe, therefore, is mani fest impossibiIity, for at that time the time lock had been at work fiften min ntes.
 If it Is conceded that three or four dis interested witnesses are telling the truth regarding the time when they heard the crash of breaking glass. then