The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-04
HOTEL ROBBERY FAILED
NIGHT CLERK LOOTED THE SAFE
AND TOLD A STORY OF BURGLARS.
Under CrOss-Questioning He Weak
ened and Confessed to COnspir-
ing with a Negro Porter.

About 4:30 o'clock yesterday morning
shots were heard in the vicinity of Capitol
avenue and Washington street. Several
men on their way to work investigated
and found William H. Moore standing in
the door of the Lorraine Hotel loudly cry
ing for help. The workmen asked the man
what had been done and Moore said that
the safe had been robbed and the robbers
had tried to kill him.
The police were summoned and when
they arrived they found Moore apparently
in a greatly excited condition. He was
breathing hard. To Captain Kruger he
displayed his coat, which showed two bull
let marks. Captain Kruger at once decid-
ed that the truth was not being told. He
caught Moore off his guard and suddenly
asked number of questions which baff1ed
Moore. The latter tried hard to evade the
questions, but Captain Kruger was so sat-
isfied that Moore was guilty of the rob-
berry that he took him TO the police station.
Moore said that about o'clock while
standing alone behind the desk three men
entered and came around TO the rear of
the counter before he could stop them.
One Of the men Immediately stepped to the
safe, dropped to his knees and began work.
ing on the combination. AT the same
time one of the others held a
revolver to the side of Moore s
head. The men working on the combina-
ton, failing to open the door. gruffiy asked
Moore what the combination was. Moore
said he told them that he did not know.
The two men, he said tried to bluff him
into giving the combination, but Moore de-
clared he did not have it, as the manager
a. urQN nlra6 tIn 70 of hn
time asleep. The third man, he said,
who up to this time had not taken an
active part, took a notebook from his pock-
ct, and after looking at it went to the
door of the safe and, by making several
turns of the knob, opened the safe. Moore
said he was sure that the man had the
numbers of the combination in the note
book.
MOoRE'S STORY.
When the safe was opened, he said, one
of the men took small wooden box from
II and ran from the door. Moore said he
fired five shots at the men as they walked
out. They fired several times at him, he
claimed, two of the bullets penetrating his
clothes.
Moore's story of the robbery and the at
tempt on his life was listened to attentively
by the police. Captain Kruger noticed
that Moores clothes were powder burned,
that the men were several feet away from
him when they fired.
While the police were cross-examining
Moore Manager Williams came down stairs
and opened the safe. He said that $124.92
was missing. Kruger, feeling that Moore
was guilty. took him to ante-room and
demanded of him where he put the money.
Moore looked surprised and seemed indig-
nant at the captain for suspecting him
of the robbery. He insisted that he had
told straight story of the affair.
-. l. Ia. <ll
ly questioned about the affair. For an hour
and a half he denied his guilt. He be-
came so confused finally that he threw ,p
his hands and said he would admit the rob-
berry. In doing so he implicated Miller,
the eolored porter. Miller was arrested
manner in which he planned the robbery.
| He said he was alone In the office when
Miller entered. Miller called his attention
to the fact that Manager Williams closed
the safe at night and in closing Ii had only
turned the wheel little to one side.
TEMPTED BY MILLER.
He said that Miller suggested that the
| safe be opened and some of the contents
| taken An agreement was reached, he said
and the safe was opened. The money in
side was locked in a wooden box. 1t was
necessary to use an ice pick to force the
| lock. Moore said he took the money and
handed it to Miller with instructions to con-
| ceal it some place in his room.
He said before his arrangements were
| completed the night Waterman entered the
| office and took q seat in one of the big
chairs. This irritated Moore, who sent
| the man to a drug store to make a pur-
chase. While the office was cleared Moore
| took a revolver and fired promiscuously
about the office.
One of the shots was fired by Moore as
he held the pistol close to his breast in
! side of his coat. The vest was badly DOW
| der burned. This shot through the coat
indicated plainly that 1t had been fired
| from the inside.
The police, after they obtained a con-
| fession from Moore, took him back to the
| hotel, where a search for the money was
made. 1t was found in Moore's room
| tied in a sheet. Moore is twenty-one years
| old and formerly lived in Greenfield. Both
| he and Miller are charged with grand
| larceny.
Moore was released on bond of $1,000 last
| night. The bond was signed by his mother
who came over from Greenfield for the
purpose.