The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-23
MYSTERY
IN ROBBERY
IN KINGFlSHER
Quick Work in Making Away
With Currency.
SLIPPED IN AT NOON HOUR
Thief Kindly Left the Large
Bills Untouched.

Guthrie. O. r., Feb. 22.-Details of the
daring robbery of the county treasurer's
office at Kingfsher are at hand in the
Kingfsher Free Press. 1t says:
Monday at noon County Treasurer Ut
terback was robbed of s255. This is the
story told about it: At noon the treasur-
er and his assistants went home for lunch
The door to the main entrance was lock-
ed An ordinary box, such as many bus
mess men keep. in which. to store valua-
+ bic papers, was left III the Office. 1t stood
upon a pile of books in the southeast cor
! ner of the room. 1t contained the cash
accumuations of the mornings business
s4s5. An overcoat. suspended by nail.
Z hung over it partially or wholly hiding
/ il from sight. This box was locked. The
money was in five. ten and twenty dollar
fbills. arranged in that order the five
dollar bills being on top. and the twenties
on the bottom. The clerks Office adjoins
the treasurer's Office with a small closet
room between, and doors lead from one
Office to the other The door leading into
( the closet is generally left open, the one
from the closet room to the treasurer's
Office is usually closed.
The officers and employees of both the
clerks and treasurer's Office went to
lunch at the same time. and the doors 70
both offices were locked. Assistant Treas
urer Moore. was the last person to go
out at lunch time, and he trier the doors
as nc went past them and is sure they
were locked The treasurer's office door
has a spring lock. SO that one can go
out from the inside without a key, but
the door cannot he opened from the out
side without a key, but the door cannot
be opened from the outside without KEY
Mr.. Burns returned to his Office first af-
ter lunch. He and Jim Chapman were
seated at a fable in his office Ghe latter
was writing a letter. when d. B. Garrett
the noted black jack negro politician.
came in and said he wanted to see about
some taxes. Thinking that some one was
in the treasurer's Office as usual, AIR
Burns directed him to pass through the
closet room doors before described Car
!, rent wept into the. treasuser's Office as
directed, and the second door closed after
him. After some fifteen minutes Mr.
Moore returned. being the last to leave
and the first to return to the treasurer
office. When he got in he found Mr. Gar
rett standing Just inside the railing and
leaning against the desk or shelf behind
which the officers transact business with
the public, waiting apparently for the re-
turn of the treasurer. No one else was
in the room.
How did you get in here?" said Moore
: 4 came through that door" Garrett re-
Aplied. pointing TO the one leading into the
clerks Office
Mr.. Moore opened the door of the treas
urer's Office. and admitted Mr. Beach, an
old citizen of this town and another gem
tleman. Beach stated that he sold a lot
in North Kingfsher to the man who
wanted to see that the taxes were paid
Garrett explained that he wanted to see
about a neighbor's taxes. Mr.. Moore
waited on Garrett first, and he at once
passed out of the room. Then he waited
on Beach. After these parties left ne
looked at the box and saw that the lid
had been raised. but the money appeared
TO be still in it. He did not know how
much had been left in It. When Mr. TT
terback came in a few moments after
Moore called his attention to the money
box. and told him he had better count
the money. The lid appeared to have been
forced open. and the lock drawn out of
its place. Mr.. Ctterback discovered that
portion Of the money was gone. the five
and ten dollar bills. He 6rst thought that
the missing amount was $2s5 but he has
since found that it was 1855.
Inquiries were made as to who had been
in the Office while they were out and Mr.
Burns stated that no one had gone
through MS Office except Garrett prior to
Moore's return. The open transome over
the door was examined and the casing
was found to he covered with aecumulat-
cd dust which would have been wiped of
II any one had craNled through it. About
twenty or thirty minutes had elapsed
since Moores return. when Mr.. Burns.
who had learned of the loss. teiephoned
Deputy Sheriff Charley Kelley who was
sent out to hunt Garrett up. He found
him on the east side Of Main street be-
tween Admire and Roberts avenue.
walking along with S. l. Jordan the col
ored shoe maker. who has n shop two
doors south Of the Free Press Office. lie
took charge OF Garrett and took him up
to the treasurers Office and searched his
person Garrett expressed 20 surprise.
said he thought he had about sl29 and
said he wished they would hurry as he
wanted 10 so over TO Blaine county. Car
rett stated thar when he went into the
treasurer Office. there was white man
in these. who seemed 70 Ice familiar with
the Office. but. when questioned. he said
BE paid little attention 10 the man. and
could not remember how ne looked how
he was wressed. or whether he wore q
beard or was smooth shaver. This man,
he said went ont before Moore's return.
About clock IL was learned that Gar
rett had not left town. and. after consul
lation. II was decided 10 have him arrest
ed. Deputy sheriff Kelley was again
called in. Probate Judge Sanders. who
was at church. was hunted uP. q COM
plant drawn mp and q warrant for the
arrest II Garrett placed in Kelley :
hands he found Carrot tab0ut 70 o'clock
~ = restaurant east Of the kingfisher
hotel kept by coiored man - the name
Of Miller Garrett WAS arrested and piae-
"a in jail. wher,. he Is stin confined wait
ing q preliminary examination.
IL is stated. that this was shs first time
the treasurer : Office WIS lfft iiy al hands
at noon and the first time that any MONEY!
had ever been ieft in H. after THE officers
and employees had let t.
The prelirniHary examination took place