The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-30
Burglars Spy Glass Method is
 Tested and Proves Easy
BIBB SEEN THIS WEEK
Detectives Work With Unabated En- ergy on Depot Robbery case-More Tools Found In Another Part
 of the Frisco House.

A reward of $500 for the arrest and con- viction of the party or parties still at large who stole the s672os sS in cash and valuable papers from the union passenger station ticket office on the night of May 15 has been offered by the union station board of control, through the chairman, B. M. starks.
 The officers at work on this robbery case are inclined to think that the reward offered will result in the speedy appre- hension of the guilty party or parties. James F. Williamson and Bennett Bbb, arrested last Wednesday, are still in cells at police headquarters. They continue to maintain silence. and if any statements have been made by them 1t was to of hcers, who will not let the ract be known.
 Detectives Bodeker, Hamilton and Pat ton are keeping a sharp lookout, and have not given up hope of getting John Bibb, the man especially wanted.
 Another Find at Frisco House.
 The detectives made another search at the Frisco house yesterday afternoon and discovered number of steel drills under a pile of sawdust This find was not made in John Bibb's room, where the first lot of tools were discovered in holes in the floor and ceiling, but probably twenty-five feet from this room and between the raft CTS and the ceiling. This apartment Is di- rectly over the large refrigerator used by the Armour Packing company, which occupies the ground floor of the building. The Frisco house is at Twentieth street and Morris avenue.
 The officers do not attach any great importance to this latest discovery. They are not sure that the drills were the property of Bibb, but they do attach great importance to the first lot found, which was in the room which had been occupied by John Bibb for nearly two months.
 As no clues to the whereabouts Of John Bibb have been obtained, the detec- lives and MT. Starks thought 1t advisable to offer reward expecting that by this. means Bibb will be captured
 Hbb Showed Roll of Money.
 It Is known that on Sunday night last John Bibb was registered at the Metro politan hotel While there he met friend who had been his classmate at Howard college. He exhibited to this friend large roll of money. On the friend making d remark about the large roll Bibb said that he had plenty of money and did not have to work for it, or words to that effect John Bibb also visited East Lake. Sunday, and 1t is said he showed his roll of money there also.
 The preliminary trial of Williamson and Bennett Bibb, >the young men under ar rest and now in the city prison, will be held before Judge Fcagin next Friday. The attorneys for the defendants, Shugart and Bell, are preparing to make the strongest possible defense at this hearing.
 How Combination Was Discovered.
 A test of the burglars spy glass method of discovering the combination of the ticket agents safe was made yesterday and 1t was proved to be not only prob- able but comparatively easy.
 The assistant engineer of the Louisville and Nashv Railroad company crawled to the little attic above the ticket agents private office and taking the instrument found in Bibb's room applied 1t to the hole, which Is about two inches in dame- ter From this point he easily distinguish ed the figures on the dial of the safe. Ar- other and stronger test was then made. A number of officials were in the room at the time. The ticket agent, whose desk Is near the safe wheeled in his chair, as he aways did, and opened the safe. The hole in the ceiling is go located that one looking through 1t from above sees directly over the right shoulder of the ticket agent when he manipulates 1t.
 When Ticket Agent Jack W. Johnson, Tn his usual manner, worked the combina- ton the assistant engineer succeeded in making it out. After one test he called out the correct combination figures. When this was done the combination of the safe was immediately changed by the ticket agent.
 Thus it is known by the detectives and the railroad officials that the burglars secured the combination by applying this glass to hole in the ceiling of the pri- vate office of the ticket agent. The de- tectives are of the opinion that for sev- eral days a man men went to the att tic above and with the glass studied the combination as it was being worked at intervals below when the ticket agent had occasion to open the safe. The fact that spy glass from a sur veyors field instrument was found in tine hole in the floor of Bibb's room, and also number of money sacks, is considered by the officers as proof positive that Bibb had a hand in the robbery.