The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17
Burglary is Mystery and There
is No Clue
The COMBINATION WORKED
Burglars Operated Between Hours of
and 5 Saturday Morning While the
Night Clerk SIept-Jack
Johnson's Statement.

Burglars entered the private office of
Captain Jack W. Johnson. ticket agent
at the Union passenger station yesterday
morning between 2 and o'clock and
stole nearly $1,000 from the safe. They
escaped with the money. and up to a late
hour tonight no arrests had been made,
and the railroad and city detectives have
been unable to find any clue which would
give them chance to catch the burglar
or burglars
The burglary was discovered yesterday
morning at o'clock by A. r. Cook. the
young ticket seller, who has charge of
the office at night He went into the
private office of Captain johnson about
o'clock and discovered that the window
looking out on Morris avenue was open.
He made a further investigation and
found that a second window had been
opened. He then suspected something
and tried the door to the safe, which
yielded to his pull, and it and the inside
door both came open. He then realized
that the safe had been robbed and tele-
phoned for Captain johnson, who came
to the office at once.
Chairman Star<s Notified.
B. M. Starks, chairman of the board
of control of the Union ticket office and
the Union passenger station, was also
promptly notified of the burglary, and he
reported the matter to the detectives
and special men of the various railroads.
Later he notified the police, and Chief
Wier put special men to work on the
case. At police headquarters yesterday
afternoon nothing could be learned re-
garding the matter, as Chief Wier and
the officers refuse to state whether they
know anything about the burglary.
The money stolen was in checks, gold,
greenbacks and currency. There was $500
in checks, which had been endorsed by
Captain Johnson preparatory to being
sent to the bank the first thing yesterday
morning. The remainder was in cash,
and this made one of the richest hauls
ever recorded in Birmingham. Besides, it
seems to have been one of the most
daring burglaries ever known any where
in recent years.
A Mystery.
How the burglars entered the place is
a mystery. 1t is impossible to unlock
the windows from the outside as they
are protected on the inside by patent
locks 1t is therefore surmised that the
burglars entered through the outside Of
flee in which the ticket sellers stay, and
where Cook was last night. He stated
that he laid his head on the table after
2 o'clock and took a little nap. 1t is
supposed that while he was mapping
someone passed through the outside office
and went into the inside room; that after
getting through with the safe they opened
the windows from the inside and escaped
through them in order to leave the i'm
preston that they had entered in that
manner.
Evidently the work was done by some
one thoroughly familiar with the office,
as they chose the time when they knew
the night man would probably be mapping
They opened the door which leads from
the mems waiting room into the outside
office of the ticket agent. This door is
always locked and no one is admitted
"a
people who have private business with
Captain johnson. This door was opened
either by one of the regular keys or by
a skeleton key, as the lock was not tam
pered with In any manner.
The entrance must have been gained
quietly. as there are special depot police
men, as we'll as the regular members of
the police department, stationed at the
depot Again there are always persons
in the waiting room waiting until the
morning trains leave. 1t is likely that
they supposed lie men were regular en-
ployes and were going in the office on
business.
At Work Inside.
After entering the outside office the
burglars are supposed to have gone to
the big doors which connect with the
inside office. These doors were not locked
and when opened do not make any noise
as they swing on their hinges. They are
wooden for about five feet from the door
and the remainder is glass in order to
allow light to come through from the
street. There was a light burning In
the inside office and the man probably
went to work at once. He seemed not
to have had any trouble opening the safe,
as the lock was worked by the regular
combination. The inside door of the safe
was opened and there the money was
found in cigar boxes. There were several
of these boxes and it seems hardly prob
able that one man could have carried
them off without attracting considerable
attention. Several of the boxes were filled
with silver and were very heavy. 1t is