The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-14

Mr.. Smith. the president drove by
the bank between and o'clock with
his brother who is visiting him and
as they passed the bank pointed it out
to his brother At that time the light
on the interior was burning brightly
though even If the vault door had
been slightly ajar it would not
have been noticed from the street. Mr..
Smith did not enter the bank as was
enormously stated.
There was no attempt made to use
explosives of any kind and the bat
tering of the combinations on the
vault and safe doors was done for the
purpose of deluding the officials into
the belief that an attempt had been
made to enter the safe but had failed
The lock on the safe is one of the best
and in the opinion of the expert who
opened it after the flood and again
yesterday could not have been picked
Officers Are Busy.
Sheriff Wilkerson as well as Chief
of Police Eaton and Sergeant Joe Ross
had a number of cIews which have
been run down without results and
have returned to the one first ad-
vanced that the thief who robbed the
bank had in some means secured the
com bination of the safe. He may or
may not have known the ombfnation
of the vault door as it could be opened
after the combination was broken
loose.
The county and city officials are
working together on this theory
Some startling developments may be
expected within the next few hours.
said Sheriff John Wilkerson this
morning. 1T is evident that the work
was done by some one familiar with all
of the workings of the bank and in
possession of the combination"
1T was not the work of profes-
sjonaI bank burglar" said Chief OF
Police Eaton who is assisted by former
City Detective Joe Ross. for If such
was the case they would have made no
attempt to close the safe and lock II
after thev had robbed the strong box
Nor would they have left between five
and six thousand dollars lying in plain
sight which they could have had for
the taking"
not been seen by the officials of the
bank since the 6th of May when it was
counted by the board of directors as
is customary every go days It was
then locked up as part or the re-
larger sums of money owned by the
bank as well as that belonging TO the
depositors have been kept on this side
of the river for some time.
The exact sum left on the shelves
in plain sight OF the robbers was So
5O6.2S. OF this $4,000 was in bills
done up in packages and perhaps hair
as much of it was in gold. and about
$1,000 in silver dollars and smaller
coins.
.sAs far as the sheriff and myself are
concerned said Chief of Police Eaton
at noon. we are satisfied in our mlnds
as TO who got the money and are reaoy
to make an arrest at any time the ol-
rectors of the bank will say that they
will stand back of US We do not be-
lieve that the work was done by eX-t
perts or safe men at all. but tnat
bungling attempt has been made 10
shift the blame on to them by the
robber who is in the city at this time
This is not the work of profession
ais said Sheriff Wilkerson. who was
with Chief Eaton, for they would have
never left the money in the upper part
Of the safe and there are a number OF
reasons evident to us which Indlcate
that the work was done by topeka
man. though it is possible that there
was an accOmplice, but 1 hardly think
so. for if such had been the case he
could not have resisted the temptation
to take all of the money in sight.
There will be a meeting OF the dl-
rectors of the bank consisting of S.
s. OFT, J. N Stewart. R. Nichols, vice
president; T NJ. Forbes, E P Baker,
E. S. Gresser, cashier, and Peter Smith,
president, this afternoon at O'Clock
At this meeting action will be taken oy
the directors relative to the robbery
and It is possible that an arrest may
follow shortly after
The Citizens State bank is one of
the Oldest banks in the city; Peter
having
and is one of the best paying banking
in the state. The dividends
for years have run from 20 to 4O per
cent and not infrequently they nave
been declared on the surplus The
hank carries $50. 900 burglary insurance
and will lose nothing from the theft.
as the National Surety company OF
New York one of the strongest of its
kind will stand the loss. including the
damage done to the safe and the ex-
-o-+s- <aaS Who came from Kansas CitY
to open the safe
smith Gets Many Letters.
There is absolutely nothing new in
the matter said Peter Smith We
have been robbed and there is $4,000
missing and as far as I know there are
no clews which would warrant an ar
rest 1 have received a number of let
ters like these" he said, pointing to
pile on his desk. from bankers all over
the west congratulating me on the fact
that the robbers did not get into the
safe as they read only the first re-
ports.
we did our usual heavy Monday bus
mess Yesterday as though nothing had
hannened and will continue without
bobble. We are Unidentified by burg
lary insurance and will not lose a dol
lar on account of the robbery. Our
bank is capitalized for $4,000 and there
is an undivided surplus OF SZ4'0oo or
profits.
There is nothing more that I can
say" said E 6 Gresser, the cashier,
the money is gone and that is evil
dent and the next thing to do is TO get
the man who robbed the bank. We
will know more about what action
will be taken after the meeting of the
directors this evening"
Mr. Gresser has been cashier of
he bank for nine years. having come |
10 Topeka from Dodge City. where he |
vas cashier of the First National
bank
r. Nichols, vice president of the
oank. said: ''It is beyond me. 1 can
not understand why any one would |
axe the money in the inner safe and
cave that in plain sight. The bills |
IN top were done up in packages |
craac11lo ahc.11f L