The Mankato free press., 1906-04-06
Gigantic Robbery Unearthed in
: Minneapolis Town.
OVER 100000 IN The LOOT,
Clever Thief Makes Away With the
vaIuabIes Belonging to Dr..
Joshua PinauIt.

s Minneapolis, March 30.-One of the
most gigantic robberies that ever was
unearthed in the northwest has been un
covered by the Minneapolis police de
partment. With theft of 100000
facing them, the name of the thief
known even to his address the police
are as powerless to locate him or the
missing property. Two weeks ago it
was discovered that $4,000 worth OF
valuable and ancient plate had been
taken from the residence of DR.. Joshua
Pinault, famous French surgeon, who
is now living in Minneapolis. 1t was
thought that only the plate had been
stolen. Later it was discovered that
100000 worth of securities had been
taken from the safe in the home and
from DR.. Pinault's private safety de
,posit vault in a downtown bank. How
the securities were taken from the vault
may never be known.
DR.. Pinault hired Thomas j. VAIN
wright to work about the house while
the doctor was away travelling. The
doctor returned two weeks ago and
found Wainwright missing and the $lO,-
600 worth of plate, gone.
A further search for the missing
property was made and it was discov-
cred that Wainwright had done big
piece of criminal work.
He had worked the combination of
the home safe and extracted papers, Sc
curities and keys. Evidently he had
located the keys of the safe deposit
vault and had gone to the bank and had
extracted these papers and securities as
well. After planning the robbery and
seeing its successful execution, Vain
wright, according to Chief of Police
Doyle, determined upon the boldest plan
yet. He opened an office at 5l7 Andrus
building, in the most prominent section
of the business district, and advertised
himself at "a. w. Bartlett, broker"
In this way he disposed to various
parties most of the securities. He then
disappeared. No such robbery has ever
taken place on the northwest. Larger
sums have been involved in thefts, but
never has so much been actually stolen
in one lump at one time by one man.
The Boston police. are also looking for
wainwright. He. took advantage of his
position as ''coachman." in the employ
of A. W. Bartlett, ST., the best known
and wealthiest realty dealer in Boston,
and stole quantity of papers from his
safe six months ago. The papers con-
sisted for the most part of letters of in
PRODUCTION from Bartlett, ST., to his son,
A. w. Bartlett, Jr., who was to have
come West to consummate some big
deals. Wainwright used these letters to
be introduced to some of the most prom
inent investors and business men of the
northwest, and thus his disposition of
of the letters of introduction was found
by DIR. Pinault on his return in rooms
in his house, where Wainwright had left
them.
The chief of police today announced
that he had succeeded in recovering l4l
pieces of silver plate valued at $4,000.
This plate had been disposed of by
Wainwright in Minneapolis pawnshops.
The plate was used by Louis XVI of
France, from whom DR.. Pinault is a lin
cal descendant.
There was taken besides plate and Sc
curities $1,000 worth of jewels belonging
to Mrs. Pinault; $4,000 worth of Tuil-
les lace and trimmings; $4,000 in nego-
table notes; $4,000 in negotiable stocks
and considerable other collateral securi-
ties. A telegram was received this
ing that custom officials had held up
jewelry answering the description of
that taken from Mrs. Pinault. 1t was
being smuggled into Canada. The theft
was first discovered when officials of a
st. Cloud bank, whose stock was held
by DIR. Pinault, wired the latter at Pass
Christian, Miss, that some one had
tried to sell it, and that the man did
not have his name registered on the
stock books as a stockholder. Vain
wright, however, made his escape before
he could be caught. He is wanted in a
dozen other cities for similar robberies
He is branded by the Boston police as
the cleverest thief in America.