The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-07
WHO CRACKED SAFE?
Interesting Case of N. A. Will
son and a Woman.

One night i'm June 1901. the safe in
the office of the county treasurer of
Rawlins county at Atwood was blown
open and $1,000 stolen by the safe
blowers 1t was just at the close of the
aX-paying season and only the day be-
fore the robbery about $4,000 had been
transferred from the safe in the treas
urers office and deposited in the bank.
The robbers were evidently after this
money and they missed it by just a
Few hours
Circumstances indicated that the
robbery was accomplished by some one
familiar with the office, but further
than that not a clue to the burglary
could be secured Big detective agencies
were employed by the officials of Raw
Inns county to trace the thieves but
every trail and every suspicion proved
to be groundless. For several months
the officers and detectives CROPPED in
darkness.
Finally the Rawlins county officers
received a communication from a man
In Ottawa Offering. for "A consideration.
to divulge evidence which would lead
to The discovery OF the robbers. 1t was
suspected that the signature to the let
ter was an assumed name and it was
placed in the hands of Sheriff COstigan
of Franklin county for Investigation.
He traced it TO the family of C. L.
Brasineton. travelling insurance solic-
itor. IN the family was a Mrs Mamie
D. NewsOm. who was employed as a
Eoverness, and who. it was discovered,
had come from Atwood.
County Attorney Robertson came on
from Atwood to Ottawa and little by
little he and Sheriff Costigan got lit
tie of the story of the robbery out of
Mrs NeWsom. In the meantime she
had moved to lola with the family with
which she was employed.
Mrs Newsom's story implicated NJ.
M nf q arr1fr me-
influential men of Rawlins county lie
owned large ranch. big business
block ina the town of Atwood, and was
perhaps its most Influential citizen.
And more than that, only a year or two
before he had finished term as county
attorney of Rawlins county.
Detectives went to work with renew
ed vigor upon the case and Wilson was
arrested. His arrest created a great
sensation on account of his previous
high standing. But sufficient evidence
was secured to connect him with the
robbery and he was convicted and sem
fenced to nine years in the penitentiary.
lie was wealthy, though, and appealed
his case to the supreme court, securing
a new trial and was released under
bond for $4,000
After his conviction. Mrs. News0m
was prevailed upon to tell the whole
story of the robbery. which size did
under the sUppOsitiOn that it was all up
with Wilson. with whom it is alleged
she mad nefn intimate she tod now
the robbery had been carefully planned
20 get the June taxes which had been
paid into the county treasury of Raw
Inns county. Wilson sent to Chicago
for two expert cTacksmen to blow the
safe open. Wilson had kept tab on the
taxes paid in and he expected TO set
$4,000 out of the safe He would have
secured it had not the county treasurer,
unknown to him, deposited nearly all
the money in the bank just the evening
before the robbery.
Some time ago Mrs. Newsom moved
re Oklahoma City Wilson's second
trial lis set for next month in the dis
trict court of RaWlins county. Two
weeks ago he disappeared from At
wood 1t was surmised that he had
gone to Oklahoma to FIND Mrs. NeWsom
and try to make her retract her former
statements and keep still concerning
the robbery. the surmise was correct
and a day or two ago Wilson and Mrs.
NeWsom were placed under arrest.
Monday afternoon Sheriff Mahoney
came to Topeka and secured a requlisi-
ion for both Wilson and the woman.
He and Sheriff Lucas have gone to
Oklahoma to get the pair and win bring
them to Topeka on their way back 10
Rawlins county as told in Mondays
State Journal.
Wilson's second trial next month
promises to bring out some sensation
al developments County Attorney
Robertson. of Rawlins county .vho sue
ceeded Wilson in the office of county
attorney. believes that Wilson is con-
nected with a gang of counterfeiters
who intended to use the proceeds of
the raid on the Rawlins county treas-
ury to operate on a large scale Tt is
said that the professional cracksmen