The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1914-08-14
EMPLOYEE TRIES TO
ROB VAULTS OF
A. G. co.

Most Daring Hold Up of cIifton's His
tory is That of Employee of General
Cffices of A. c. company. Vino
Thursday Fails in Attempt to Force
cti,er Employees to Hand 20 Him
Vaults Contents-YouthfuI Grimm
al Speedily Captured-PIeads Guilty
and Held to Superior Court.
What was easily the most daring
hold-up in the history of Clifton was
attempted at just before one O'Clock
on the afternoon of Thursday, when
Richard Mccormick, a man of about
twenty years of age, and for about
two months employed as clerk in the
general offices at Clifton of the Ari-
zona Copper company, unsucessfully
attempted to force other employees
of the Company to open and hand
him the contents of the vaults of the
company's general offices.
Apparently carefully planning the
robbery, the youthful criminal chose
an opportune time, as the only men
in the offices at the time were w.
B. Foote, the Company's cashier, r
j Strickland and Robert Brock, both
also employed in the offices. The
others of the force were absent at
their noon day meal.
Mccormick had been at the office
earlier in the forenoon, and had left
without telling Bernstein, his super
ior, why he had not resumed that
morning his accustomed duties. He
returned to the offices shortly before
one O'Clock, and requested Mr.. Foote
to open the vaults that he, Mccormick,
might obtain the payroll books, the
payroll department being his work.
Mr. Foote complied, and after get
ting the books turned facing Nc
Cormick with them only to find in Nc
Cormick's hands the drawn revolver.
Mccormick then demanded that
Foote Immediately get the cash in
the vaults and hand it to him. At
this time Strickland and Brock
were lined by Mccormick
alongside of Foote, who was reproved
by Mccormick that he did not sooner
get the cash. Foote replied that
were he, Mccormick, as nervous as
was Foote that he could not work
with any greater rapidity. Foote was
apparently trying to free the combi-
nation on the money compartm ent,
but was really tut ing more securely
the combination, which at the noon
hour is usually placed so that only a
few turns will release the compart-
ment At this juncture the robber
evidently became greatly excited and
between Foote'S knees, and striking
squarely in the center the steel door,
the bullet being shattered into frag-
ments, several of which enered the
hands and neck of Foote, but caus-
ing only very slight injuries.
instantly after firing the shot Nc
Cormick ran from the building, prob
t:bly believing thai the report of the
shot would bring assistance. ard
quickl. passed to the south of the A.
c. company's drug store, anu from
the teaching plant of the Company.
He was followed by Strickland of the
offices, who was however unarmed,
and therefore could not keep safely
within close distance. Strickland
kept the man in sight until he had
reached the section of the Presbyter-
ian church. Telephone calls were
Immediately sent from the private ex-
change of the general offices to Off
GERS, who under the direction of
Sheriff Patty, Immediately began a
search. Advices were also sent to
every officer in Greenlee county, that
the mans escape might be completely
and in every direction frustrated The
officers of Clifton confined their
search to North Clifton, as they
knew that the man was not mount
ed, and could not succeed in quitting
Clifton However, that Mccormick
was not mounted was only because
he had failed to securely tie a horse
which he had secured from the Mer-
rill-Spaw livery barns, and had left
standing at the racks alongside the
A. c. company's drug store. This
horse, upon finding itself not tied,
went back to its stables in the Hills
Addition section, and leaving McCor-
mick thus handicapped in his attempts
to escape.
The search in North Clifton was fol-
lowed closely by all the officers of
Clifton until about four O'Clock in the
afternoon, when Mccormick was cap
tured by A. A.. Anderson, now en-
ployed with the Becker-Franz company
in North Clifton, and who was form
erIy sheriff of Graham county. Mr..
Anderson received telephone call
from parties in main Clifton that
Mrs Love, wife of Rev. Love, had
telephoned that Mccormick had been
found hiding beneath the adobe resi-
dence occupied by Mrs. Armijo, this
residence being Immediately to the
rear of the Presbyterian church. Ac-
cordingly Anderson went Immediately
to the residence, where he found
Mccormick, who offered no resist
dnce, dlLnOuSn NE was SIii dlhOu
with the new revolver. A sack Of
pistol cartridges was found upon him.
He was placed in an automobile,
and carried to the county jail. About
the only statement he made to the
officers was as to what had become
of his horse, which he had left stand
ing at the drug store racks.
Mccormick came to Clifton from
Tucson. According to empliyes, he
has been since that time steadily en-
ployed as payroll clerk in the Com
pany's general offices. His only rec
ord known to the Company here is
that contained in "a letter of recon-