The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-20
.CRACKSMEN
WORK AT ST.
CLAIRSYLLLE.
Belmont County Trepsurer's Office
Suffers Considerable from
Their Visit,
ATTRACTEDBY TAXPAYMEN1S.
Postage Stamps Amounting to s645
Takeu-other Losses-NO Glue
to Burglars.

Cracksmen visited the county treas
urers office at st. Clnirsville, Monday
night or early yesterday morning, prob
ably the latter. 1t is thought there were
seven in the gang, but this is based up
on rumors of persons being seen late at
night, and there may not have been so
many. Some tools were taken from Nc
Brides carriage works, but not many
of these were used.
From the character of the work in
blowing" the outer door to the vault in
the treasurer's office the craftsmen
knew their business and had tools OF
their own. The ones carried from the
carriage works were left upon the floor
of the office and sope OF them In a va
cant lot back OF, the court house, all in
tended, no doubt. to mislead and leave
the impression that It was home talent,
But experts did the Job and they Sc
leeted the time we'll,
There Is a rush OF tax-payIng now,
the limit being to-day and there Is
more money in the treasury vault thar
ordinarily, and there was a big rush
Monday. The thieves after blowing
loose the outer doors to the vault got
inside. There they found innumerabIe
checks on file and some loose In a
basket kept for that purpose. They
did not bother with any of these tell
tale, dlficult- to handle bits OF paper,
but they proceeded to break open the
tin boxes left locked in the vault.
Probate Judge Smith had one there
filled with valuable papers and good
Russian leather pocket-book. They ex-
amined the papers and threw them
about the floor, but took the book.
Treasurer Bergundthal had one OF
these, too, containing private papers,
and handsome purse belonging to his
wife. In this she had kept q sum Of
money, believing the vault as safe as
bank, until only the other day Mr.
Bergundthal deposited the money. The
purse is now in possession of the
thieves. Nothing else from this box was
taken.
Then came the locked box of Post
master c. W. Carroll. which contained
sl35 in cash; $4,000 two-cent stamps and
5000 one-cent stamps. Everything In
this box was taken, making the loss Of
Judge Carroll S645. He deposited this
box there each evening to guard against
robbery, The time-lock safe inside the
vault in which was about $4,000. was
not mutilated. 1t is one of the modern
kind and the thieves evidently knew
when they reached 1t that they did not
have time to get into 1t and It was left
unframed and opened on time yester-
day morning.
1t is reasonably certain they did not
go into the office until after midnight
and about as certain that they left
shortly after Q O'clock and that they
came toward the river But there is no
clue. The operations, however. were
directed by some one perfectly familiar
with the court house and the treasur-
er's office. This is evident from all the
moves made. Twenty odd dollars OF
church money that had been counted
up by Mr.. Bergundthni, who is also
treasurer of the Methodist Episcopal
church. was loose on his desk, but was
unnotIced perhaps by the thieves, as It
was not disturbed. but they took about
81 40 of revenue stamp money in a lit
tie box on larger desk
The loss of postage stamps and mo-
ney order funds VIII probably not fall
upon Judge Carroll, as he took extra
ordinary care to have them placed in
what was supposed to be safe place.
1t proved not to be. but the effort to
save the government harmless from
ordinary thieves is apparent.