The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-06
TOOK PRECIOUS NAP
PIANO POPE PAID NEARLY 5000 FOR
INOPPORTUNE sNOOZE.
CASH DRAWER WAS STOLEN.
WHITE STRANGER PLAYED WITH
KITTENS UNDER CASH BOX.

When Pope Fell on to Sleep in "A
Chair the Stranger Took the
GOOds-Cash Drawer Was Found in
an Alley Nearby, Rified of Its Con-
tents-Matter Has Been Reported
to the Police, but No Arrests Have
Been Made-POpe Sure He Could
Identify the Man-WOuId Probably
Have Trouble in Fixing the Theft.
Piano Pope, a Greek who keeps a
large fruit stand at the corner of
Congress and Barnard streets, had
nearly 5000 stolen from his cash draw
er at an early hour yesterday morning,
while he sat within three feet of the
drawer, in Nodland. The suspect is a
white man, but who he is, what his
name is, and where he is are three
things, any one of which the Greek
would like to know.
The drawer was stolen at about s
o'clock. 1t was found, rified of its
contents, at the corner of Whitaker
street and Broughton street lane by
officer HUMPHREYS shortly after sun
rise. The police have been given a
description of the man, but up to an
early hour this morning he had not
been located. Even were he caught
Pope would, under the circumstances
surrounding the robbery, have diff
cult time fixing the mans guilt, though
he says he would experience no trou-
BILE in Identifying him.
Pope was given to taking siestas
during the wee sma' hours, when trade
was brief, and had often been awaken
ed by the sergeant on duty, and small
wonder it is to the police that he has
at length been relieved of his belong
ings. His place remains open all
night.
At 1 o'clock Pope relieved the man on
duty, and began his night watch. A
stranger sauntered up and engaged him
in conversation. The two talked for a
while, and the conversation growing
dcsultory in the extreme. the stranger
moved over near the cash drawer, I'M
der which there is box in which there
are several small kittens. The stranger
fondled the felines affectionately,
while Pope. who was seated nearby,
dropped off to sleep. He had, shortly
after coming on the watch, placed $145
III the cash drawer. 10lS, IOSeIner WIN
the Saturdays sales. comprised the
money in the drawer when he went to
sleep in the chair. Whether the strang-
err had seen him place the money in the
drawer he did not know.
When he awoke, the drawer was
gone. He had been asleep. as near as
he could judge, for nearly an hour.
There is no alarm on the cash drawer,
and the only semblance of a lock is a
nail stuck through a hole in
the upper edge of it, The
thief probably waited until the
hard breathing of the man who had
neglected his vigil was indicative of
his obliviousness to his whereabouts;
and, then, with a simple twist of the
wrist, removed the nail which stood
between him and the silver and green
backs. Then he stole away to the
darkness nearby and, rifling the draw
err left that immediate neighborhood
without delay.
Pope runs a. large retail fruit estab-
lishment, and on Saturday realized
about 5000 from the sales at his three
stands, two of which were at the mar
ket. 1t has been his custom to place
considerable sum of money in the
drawer every Saturday night, and once
before, nearly two years ago, he had
the drawer stolen. On that occasion
however, the thief got but So.