The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-09-24

The original package was wrapped in
a copy Of The Journal of Thursday
morning.
Officials of the First National bank
were naturally glad to get the $55,000
safely back in the the bank and credit
it to the account of the Louisville G.
Nashville railroad, but they also want
to see the officers get evidence against
and arrest the thief. With this end in
view they are lending the officials all
possible aid and they, like the officers,
believe that 1t is only a question of
time before some one is landed in
Jail.
RECEIVES PHONE MESSAGE.
Saturday night Assistant Cashier W.
N. Roberts while at his home received
a telephone message from a mysterious
party who said: THAT package YOU
lost is at the back door" Mr. Roberts
paid practically no attention to the
message. as he thought some of his
friends were attempting to have joke
at his expense.
Before telephoning the assistant
cashier of the First National the same
Roberts of the Pensacola State Bank
and delivered a similar message, but
was informed by Mr.. Roberts that he
had lost no package.
The man then evidently discovered
his mistake and phoned to w. N.
Roberts.
FOUND BY. JANiToR.
The package was found by Mat
u, - a. - l. y.
when he opened the south door in the
rear of the bank about o'clock yes
terday morning. He at first thought
it was a pair Of old shoes in a box, but
upon picking up the package discov-
cred that it was the original package
of money. He carried it inside the
bank and locking the doors called up
Vice President Knowles, who advised
him to lock it up in some secure place
| until officers of the bank could reach
| the scene. Thomas, to make sure,
| locked the package in the stationery
vault and then turned the combina-
ton. AS a result it was some time
after the arrival of President F. c..
Brent and Vice President Thomas w.
| Brent before the combination could be
worked as the vault was hardly ever
uSGQ ana therefore no one was Idln1llar
with the combination.
MADE SURE 1T WAS MONEY.
| Thomas, to make sure the package
| contained the money, tore one end of
| it and exposed the bank notes When
the package was taken from the vault
upon the arrival of officers it was not
| opened, but allowed to remain in the
same state in which it was found. The
| package was addressed to "TIon. H. F..
Thompson. Paymaster L. & N. r. R.
Co. Flomaton, Ala" In the upper left
hand corner was written Contains
| 5,o00," and in the lower left hand
corner was stamped From the First
National Bank, Pensacola, Fla"
The dummy package differed from
/ the original in that the address was
written in a cramped hand and no
stamp had been used in the lower left
| hand corner In addition it was some
what larger than the original
! Is A REAL MYSTERY.
| How the man who placed the pack
age at the rear door got there without
being detected is about as much a
mystery as how the money disap-
/ peared. The Pinkerton men are sup
| posed to have kept a watch on the
4
we'll as on the express company and a
number OF employees. The package,
which measured about IA by 1912
inches. was wrapped in a copy of The
Journal of Thursday morning. The
newspaper was wet, but the wrapper
| enclosing the money apparently hal
not long been exposed to the elements,
| especially not since Saturday night. as
| the rain hardly ceased falling from
early Saturday night until Monday
| morning at 3 o'clock.
| There is a Waterman at the bank,
but he never has occasion to open the
/ rear doors.
| Enclosing the rear of the bank is a
| brick wall about five feet in height.
but it is only about six feet from the
| door where the money was found. The
package could have been thrown where
1t was found, or the party could have