The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-15
PinkertOn Detectives Inyesti-
eating Bank Robbery.
Officers BaffIed in Search for
the Thief.
THE DIRECTORS MEET.
Confess That They Are Entirely
at Sea.
Safe May Have Been Looted
Early in Week.

zens' bank are as much at sea over the
loss of SO, 900 from the banks safe as
the officers. They realize that the
money is gone, but every theory ad-
vanced to account for its disappear
ance comes plump up against stone
wall of facts.
Pinkerton detectives are here in the
service of the company that carries the
burglar insurance They have exam
ined every one connected with the
bank They have investigated the hab
its and circumstances of the officers
and employees OF the bank, but not
fact has been unearthed that would
tend to throw light the mysterious
robbery There are theOries-tho
of Ihem-but these are easy TO formu-
late and require little mental effort
II is thought that the vault may
have been robbed any time since the
9Th Of the month when il was last op-
ened and the money counted. At that
time the directors held quarterly
meeting and the funds of the bank
were counted and found TO be intact
The reserve fund of $4,000 was count
ed and locked in the vault in the safe
apart from the funds of the bank where
IL has reposed in safety for years past
This money may have been taken
from hits receptacle any time since then
and il is not probable that it would
have been missed for a long time, per-
haps not until another quarterly count
OF the money was MADE II lA0 dA-@AS
on the safe and vault doors had not
been tampered with sometime between
the time the bank closed Saturday and
the time it was opened for business
Monday morning
1t now seems possible that a robber
never saw the interior of the safe af-
ter il was closed Saturday and this
would account for the banks money
which was locked up Saturday re-
naming intact while the reserve fund
is missing.
The Officers who are working on the
case feel that il the door 10 the safe
was really opened Saturday night or
Sunday or the night following tnat ali
of the money would have been taken
no matter who the thief may have
been. If. however. the safe door was
not opened as it now appears that II
was not there would have been no op-i
portunity TO get at this money
Zone of the peculiar features of the
robbery said one of the bankers of
the city. ''is the fact that the coTnb bina-
ton was left in such 4 condition that
any hour Sunday The matter is easi-
Iy regulated so that when Sunday
comes the com bination can not be
worked until The following Monday
morning or at least that is the way we
have things arranged.
''As far as I know every other bank
in the city is protected in this way 1t
appears mighty like the money was
time prior TO the smashing OF the COM
binations and that this work was done
Sunday night to give the appearance
that the bank had been entered by
robbers.
Officers Still at Sea.
Sheriff WiIkerson and Chief of Po-
lice Eaton have devoted the greater
part of the time since the robbery
was discovered Monday morning in
running down clews but are as much
n dark at this time
when notified of the broken locks The
movements of several of the attaches
of the bank have been followed closely
and an investigation made of their hab-
its and nothing has been found upon
which a suspicion can De hung.
Different theories are held by the
sheriff and chief of police as to how the
money was extracted from the reserve
fund chest and when il was taken.
Chief Of Police Eaton is confident that
the thief was in the bank a. the time
the officers discovered that the lights
were out Saturday night and feels that
If the officers had done their duty that
he would have been captured in the
act
officer Douglass who was on that
beat a the time has been suspended
and there Is every Indication that the
suspension amounts 90 a discharge. I
Officer White. who was on that side of
on another beat. though he may not be
suspended as the chief places the /
blame on Douglass.
After the meeting of the directors the !
matter of apprehending the criminals 1
was placed in the hands of Sheriff |
WilkersOn as far as the bank is con-
cerned. No reward has been offered |
and the officials viii not say whether l
such action will be taken or not. An
other meeting of the directors will be |
held this afternoon when the matter of I
the robbery will be discussed and some /
action taken relative 10 the appre- 1
hending Of the criminal
Sheriff Wilkerson suspects that the 4
money which is missing from the strong 4
box may have been taken at any time 4
mission was not gained to the safe
Sunday or Saturday at all. He bases /
this theory on the fact that the COM /
bination was in perfect working order I
and set for the usual opening time and
the fact that the robber carried of i
which is heavy and bulky and left un-
disturbed between $500 and s. .0G0 in 1
greenbacks-
Many Unfounded Rumors
The city is filed with wild rumors
all Of them without foundation. One |
which were left undisturbed were di-
rect from the mint unsigned and in
sheets but a quietus is put on this
story by the fact that this money was
used during the days business of the
bank and had at least received the
ordinary wear.
Il have no theories about the mat
ter that 1 care TO discuss at this
time" said Sheriff Wilkerson, for II
IS a knotty problem at best and is
greatly complicated by the fact that
the ombination was left lying about
the bank so that it might be in posses
sion OF any number OF people at this
time. We may perhaps have some