The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-11-04
FAKE ROBBERY
GAME FAILS
Thieving Agent of Wisconsin
Corporation Nearly Got
Away With Bundle
HOW He WAS BAMBO0zlED
Resort was Had to an ingenious erd
Elaborate Ruse-The countcr.F1,.c
How il was Worked-eot the Via.
TINS Goat" and He Confessed.

1t was a fshy looking story. The
local agent of New York corpora.
tion out in a Wisconsin town. handling
its funds daily, reported a robbery.
Two men had come into the Office late
at night, when he was at work on
the books, and at the points OF pistols
he had yielded up $4,000 of the com.
pany's funds. Two days later the con.
fdential travelling agent OF the cor
poration dropped into the town and
talked il over with the local man in a
quiet way. In five minutes he told
Tip, Il knew there had never been
any robbery. How did | know? In.
stnct The story he told was too
sweet. There wasn't a flaw in Il. II
was like a framedup alibi. You know
the best alibi. until you can knock it
out, is the one that is invented for
the occasion"
Queerest Of all things. the victim"
had no bad habits. There was no sign
Of extravaganza anywhere to confirm
the visitors impression that the rob.
berry was myth. Yet he could not
''AN Nth lNNAOh O4N VI LIS ll4lN
that the thief was the employee. With
the time of the alleged hold.up fixed
by the suspected one. resort was had
TO an ingenious and elaborate ruse.
When il was proposed to the Chic.
OF Police he reyolted, The Third De.
gree He wasn't going to get into
trouble with those New York tricks.
Our agents argued the interests OF
justice. At last persuasion won.
There was one policeman who
stood ready to assert that at the hour
the local agent had fixed for the hold
Up by his two men in buckram he and
another policeman were in front o.
the office where the mythical robbery
had occurred An accommodating
bartender, sinking home. as he said
from a clandestine rendezvous. had
passed the spot at the same hour and
had seen the policemen. II there had
been a robbery, if there had been any
men near the office, they would have
been sure to see it come off. Oh. yes.
they had looked in the windows and
there was no one within: they were
sure OF that, too But suppose this
scheme doesn't work." demanded the
Chief of Police. "a fire mess my po.
licemen will be in" The confidential
agent met this quickly: They will
not be under oath. II the trick doesn't
go through, then the policemen can
come out and swear to the truth and
no harm will be done
The frame-up complete, the victim
OF the supposititious robbery was tax.
en- to Police Headquarters. Again he
repeated his story, which was taken
down by a stenographer. Then the
policemen and the bartender, in his F..
presence, related theirs \ convent. /
ont Judge" who threw in an occa.
sional question and was deferentially /
addressed by the skillful inquisitor. .
lent to the impression upon the mind /
OF the culprit that he was about to be |
confronted with an accusation of theft /
and that the circumstantial proc, .
against him was overwhelming. Next I
came a private interview with the en-.
yoy from New York, and in exactly |
seven minutes the two men went to .
Ae spot where the $4,000, down to the !
last dollar. had been hidden by the
local agent. Not a threat had been
used against him. No torture; no in.
tmidation. He went up and took his
dose without murmur-one yea- in
the penitentiary-a unless he
chances to identify himself with these
lines he does not know how he got
his tumble. how nearly he got away
with his little pile.-Tip in the New
York Press.