The Forrest City times., 1898-08-26
\ H. LOUIS BANK ROBBED.
Several Thousand Dollars Missing, but the Thief Has Not Yet
 Been Detected.
THEORY AS TO HOW IT WAS MANAGED.

picion = Every Effort is Being Made
 by the Detectives and Bank OmcisIs
 to Keep the Details of the R obbery .
 Secret.
 ST. LOUIS, Aug. 25.-The Chronicle publishes story to the effect that one of the largest banks in St. Louis has been systematically and regularly robbed for the past two months, and in the effort to capture the culprit or culprits extraordinary precautions have been observed by both the bank officials and the detective department. Not an inkling of the alleged short age and the ensuing surveillance by the police has been allowed to escape. How much money has been stolen is not yet definitely known. Some of the amounts stolen were reported to the police as follows:
 Amounts stolen.
 June 1, stolen from vault $500 in sil- yer dollars.
 June IS, stolen from vault Sl76.
 July 2i. stolen from vault s7l.
 July 2s, stolen from vault S60.
 August 10, stolen from vault 800
 There are eight other items in the total, and their amounts will, it is thought, swell the sum of money miss ing to thousands of dollars.
 According to the best information obtainable, the police and bank officials being very reticent, the aggregate of the sums stolen reaches into five figures This same business source has 1t that private detectives were placed on the case after the first theft was discovered, but their work was so unsatisfactory that Chief of Detectives Desmond was called into consultation by the cashier of the bank. The cash fer had no explanation to make. He only knew that on the morning of June 2, when the cashiers vault was opened, one of the canvas sacks that contained $500 was found empty. The sack was in its usual place, but the cord fastening the neck had been sey- cred and lay beside it, and not one of the bright, new silver dollars it had contained was to be found.
 - ~----
 No Evidence Found.
 There was no evidence that the time lock had been tempered with, nor was there sign of a mark on either the outer or inner steel walls.
 All was mystery.
 Four of Chief Desmond's best men were promptly put at work. and thelr orders were to spare neither time, pains nor expense.
 As result one of the bank employees IS now under constant surveillance.
 The Cashiers Vault.
 The cashiers vault, in which the money is kept, is built next to the book keepers vault. Both are considered burglar and fire-proof. No one but the cashier has access to the former.
 To the bookkeeper's safe all the clerks and the day and night watch man had the privilege of entrance. No harm was thought of this, as the vaults were believed to be completely sepa- rated by secure walls
 But the detectives discovered flaw. Between the two receptacles is steel wall, or rather partition. It consists. so the informant states, of innumera- ble steel vertical bars crossed at inter- vals by horizonal steels. So close are the upright bars that it is almost inn possible to thrust alarming needle be- tween them. But the lower horizontal bar is fully an inch and half from the concrete floor, and this gave the sleuths a clew.
 Careful study provoked theory as to the tlievery.
 The Theory.
 The thief or thieves would enter the bookkeeper's vault, lay flat on the floor, and, wire in hand, reach in un- der the lower parallel bar. The wire had hook at the end, and this served to pull the sack of bullion up to the partition. Then the hand would be inserted, knife would sever the cord. and out would roll the money.
 Looking for the Thief. - The method fathomed all the detec- tives began searching for the culprit Every clerk and every employe was shadowed. His home life was studied and his habits investigated. One man seemed more prone to suspicion than the others. His salary was not large, and up to the time of the first theft the bank had reason to be- lieve he was in debt, on account of the numerous creditors who presented themselves at the bank.
 After the first theft their demands ceased. Therefore this employe was figured as the one wanted, but thus far 1t has been impossible to fasten the robbery on him.
 E Win Stil Fight the Cubans.
 MADRID, Aug. 25.--At the cabinet council held Tuesday night, Gen. Cor req, minister of war, read a telegram from Can't Gen Rlapco in .yh;nh l,,