The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-22
BAG OF GOLD STOLEN
FROM THE SIDE OF A DEAD
WOMAN WHO HAD LONG
GUARDED 1T
THIEF SOON FOLLOWS DEATH
A Few Hours After Mrs. Albert
Buck Had Passed Away One
Thousand Dollars in Twenty
the Room-Anton Novek Under
Suspicion.


While the dead body of Mrs. Albert
Buck lay on the bed where she bre. TIL
cd her last at an early hour yesterday
morning, $1,000 in gold was later In
the day stolen from the room. The
money was received by the Buck fam
lily several months ago for insurance
upon their home, which burned down
early one morning. Mrs. Buck. an
invalid for twelve years, barely escap
ed the fire with her life and since the
Insurance money was received had
guarded it carefully, night and day,
keeping the little cloth bag filled with
the bright yellow coins beside her in
her bed. When death took her away.
the famiiy's little heard was forgotten
for time. and while husband and
daughter were grievlng for the wife
and mother, some one stole the money.
undeterred by the pres ence of the life
less body within arms length Of the
treasure. The loss Of his wife and
money on the same day almost crazed
Albert Buck, the husband, who, in
his sorrow had to be restrained from
doing himself bodily harm.
DRIVEN OUT BY FIRE.
The Buck family lives in barren
little shack, on Toronto avenue. near
st. Clair street. Before father, mother
aid daughter, the latter Mrs. Mary
Wagner, were burned out, they lived
in comfortable home, on an adjoin-
ing corner. Albert Buck is a laborer.
and by hard work and economy. he
managed to build the little home where
he and his aged wife hoped to spend
their last days. One morning, several
months ago, the family was aroused
by the smell Of smoke. Soon the up
per part of the house was In flames.
Mrs. Wagner ard her father had
scarcely time to remove Mrs Buck
when the house was a mass of flames.
The lire department came, but 1t is
long way to Toronto and St. Clare
streets and the homeless family could
but look on and see their home crumble
to ashes.
But brighter days seemed to dawn
for the family when they moved into
the little hut. several doors above the
home on the corner They had lived
there before getting the other home,
and when one day Mr. Buck returned
to his wife and daughter with 81 600
in $50 sold pieces, the insurance money
on his home, II was decided that it
was indeed an i'll wind that blew nc
good. With so much money the men,
bers of the family figured they could
live comfortably, even in the shack.
There would be no lack of food. at
l.. -
the care Of a physician. On her sick
bed Mrs. Buck smiled peacefully wien
she thought of the little fortune
TUCKED 1T IN THE BED.
How to keep the gold safely at once
became a serious matter. The ad-
visibility of putting the money in
bank was discussed, but If this was
done, the small daily demands upon
the treasure for the amily's support
could not be easily met Then all three
of the household were struck with the
same idea. Why would not mother, m
her bed of suffering, be a first-class
guardian Of the wealth? She never
left her bed, and, with the money be-
tween the ticks, it would always be
safe. No one would ever suspect an
invalid Of twenty years standing to
have so much money about her. The
plan was Immediately acted upon.
Mrs. Wagner made snug bag out of
a piece OF an old dress and the yell
low coins were tumbled into 1t and
safely tucked away in the mothers
bed.
Early yesterday morning Mrs. Buck
died. She had kept the treasure safe
ly to the end. When it became neces-
sary to prepare the body for burial, one
Of the ticks was taken from the bed,
and. with the little bag of gold pieces
In the center, was doubled up and
p,nced on a chair beside the bed. Soon
several women called to condole with
the father and daughter They only
stepped inside Of the poorly furnished
room where the body lay and then
went away with dimmed eyes.
When the milkman came shortly
after 8 O'Clock, Mrs. Wagner walked
with him to the door Of the room
where her mothers body lay.
He viewed the body moment, but
did not enter the room. and went
away.
NOVEK CALLED THERE.
Along about o'clock Anton Novek,
an acquaintance of the family, ap-
pesred at the shack, Mrs. Wagner says,
to make some carpentering repaira
which he had been asked TO do the day
before. Mrs. Wagner says she inform
ed Novek of her mothers death and
went into the room where the dead
body lay with him. Novek expressed
sympathy for her in her affiiction, and
Mrs. Wagner went out OF the room,
leaving Novek there alone She says
Novek was in the room some time He
was about the house several times, she
says, and several times went back into
the room where the dead woman lay
with the treasure. Al noon IT was dis
covered that the bag of coin had been
stolen.
After a vain search OF the room dur
ing the afternoon, Mrs. Wagner and
her father finally sent for the police
To the officers Mrs. Wagner declares
that no one except Novek had been in
the room alone, nor had had an oppor-
tunity to get near the bed ticking,
folded up over against the wall, with
the money in its midst. Novek was
sent for. He came and absolutely de-
MED any knowledge of the money. He
had not seen it. and. in fact, had not
known that the family had any money,
he said. Mrs. Wagner despairingly de-
clared that Novek was the only per
son that had had a chances to take the
money. and he was therefore taken to
the central station. He was locked up
without any charge being preferred
against him, declaring himself the po-
lice say, that he was content 10 be in
jail 50 that the case could be inyesti-
gated and the imputation against him