Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-06
ATKINS MAKES
GOOD SHORTAGE
Deposed American" Street De-
partment Clerk Says Safe
Was Robbed.
COULD BE OPENED WITH KNIFE
But When Asked to Open Il st. Lcger
Insisted on Having the Key, Which
He Claimed He Could Not Find.

T. st. Leger Atkins. deposed chief
| clerk of Jake Raleigh, street supervi-
sor, has explained it all. His safe has
been robbed. Further than that, T. st.
Leger says he win make his shortag
good by handing u check for 1851 to
| anybody who will receive 1t. Jake
Raleigh wont take the money and he
told Atkins as much when he offered
| II to him yesterday
This morning. however, Atkins pre-
vailed upon Sandy Fowler, secretary to
Mayor Bransford, to accept and hold
the missing 1851 which he turned over
to Mr.. Fowler in cash.
Atkins at the same time mace the
statement that Councilman Wood's ac-
ton in uncovering the shortage was
prompted by spite ana pat of the fight
waged by that gentleman who has long
since announced that he rs after both
Raleigh's and Atkins scalps.
Il. st. Leger declares that four or
FIVE times mis- safe has been robbed
He says that oftentimes he has opened
his office in the morning only to find
that someone has been there before
him. Papers We're scattered about. he
says, and sometimes windows have
been open. The safe had been robbed
once of $3.50 and smaller amounts on
other occasions. Atkins, in explaining
the robbery, declares that the safe,
which is an old-fashioned. affair, may
be easily opened with a knife blade.
SOMETHING "LEAKY.'
There is something leaky in Atkins
explanation, declares one OF the inter
ested parties. Speaking of the Eek
planation,' he asked this question,
why, II the safe can be opened with
knife, did Atkins tumble in his
pockets when he was asked to open
the safe and declare that he had lost
the key? What did that matter If the
safe might be opened with a knife.
Surely someone in the crowd had a
knife. Then, why did he go all the
way home and return to say that he
had lost the key. What if he had lost
the key he surely could find a knife
somewhere In the county building. No,
Atkins Will have to think again and
explain a little more clearly. His an
swers 50 far will not hold water"
ATKINS EXPLANATION.
Atkins said last night, in the way Of
explaining his losses:
Several times l have come down to
the Office in the morning and have
found the door unlocked and often a
window has been open. The safe door
j have also found open. 1t is an old
key safe and the blade of a knife will
easily turn the lock. From day to day
l have kept my poll tax receipts in
this safe and have often discovered
that the amount 1 had placed there
the night before was gone the next
morning. Last November | spent sew
eral evenings in watching the office
from the city and county building
grounds, In the hope 70 finding the
burglar, but my efforts We're in vain"
WOULD NOT BELIEVE HIM.
When he was asked why he didn't tell
someone, Jake Raleigh. for instance,
about his loss, Atkins said:
Il knew that it would do no good
as nobody would believe me, and
had to just bear the loss"
IF you knew you were losing money
from the safe, why didn't you put it
somewhere else?"
Il had no place else to put 1t.
was afraid to keep it home"
Atkins has explained that he only
issued receipts for cash out OF this
particular receipt book and therefore
he did not trouble himself to specify
In the stubs whether the payment was
with labor or money.
REPORT SOME TIME TODAY.
The city attorney has gone over At
kins' books and win report to the
street committee and the finance COM
mittee some time today. Pending the
investigation by the streets committee,
after it has Atkins books In it's pos
session, no further action win be taken.