Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-01-31
DARING THIEVES
Work a Slick Game on WittIig, the
JeweIer, and Get Seventy DOL
lars Cash and a Check.

The boldest and most successful rob-
berry ever perpetrated in this city oc-
Cured last Saturday night, but was
kept out of the Sunday morning edl-
ton of the Leader through mistaken
idea that it would not besTight to pub
lish it so soon. AS a matter of fact, 1t
might have been an aid to the officers
in locating the thieves, as it has tran
spired that the two men who did the
job were ut a hotel in the lower end of
the city the following morning, and the
reason that the clerk did not notify
the police of the fact was that he did
not know that any such men were
wanted by them. Had the facts
been given to the paper and descrip-
tion of the men published, he would
have been able to notify the officers
before the men left the house and they
could easily have nabbed them.
The story of the robbery is that
Saturday evening man who was
heavy set and wore a short red mus
tache, walked into the jewelry store of
Mr. Wittlig, who was alone in the store
at the time, and asked to buy n watch
key. The key was picked out and in
payment he offered a ten dollar bill.
To get the change Mr.. Wittllg
had to open the safe and unlock the
money drawer and remarked as he
went to hand the stranger his change
that it took all the small change" he
had. The stranger thereupon fished
out quarter and the $40 bill was re-
turned to him. t.fter the purchase of
the key the man wanted to look at
some diamond rings, and was shown
some of the gems, but Mr. Willig, hav-
ing grown suspicious of the mans ac
tions, watched them very closely and
! frustrated the intention of the man to
commit a diamond robbery. Here was
where the other man came into the
game and proceeded to play his part by
asking to look at some watch charms
and then some pins, which were shown
him, but he being unable to make a
choice and while he was looking at the
articles, the first stranger went to the
window and called Mr.. Wittlig's atten-
tiOn to a necklace in the window and
thus tried to get him away from the
iewelry he was showing to No. 2, but
Mr.. Wittlig returned the trays of
charms and pins to the showcase be-
fore going to the window. He went to
the window and the stranger passed
to the outside, presumably to better
point out the articles that he desired
TO examine, and when Mr.. Wittlig
picked up one necklace he said, Not
that one" and pointed out another,
and just then his partner, who mad re-
mained inside the store, passed out the
door and they both disappeared.
Mr. Wittlig thinking that he had
been tricked, hurried to the safe and
fonud the money drawer open and
seventy dollars in cash and a check for
eleven dollars missing. All the money
that was in the draw had been taken,
excepting a five dollar bill and a ten
dollar gold piece. ,
The police force was Immediately
notified of the robbery and they went
to work upon the case at once, but
We're unable to locate the thieves.
This is the first time that anything
like such daring attempt at whole
sale robbery has been worked IN this
city and will serve to place the mer-
chants of the city on their guard.