Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-23


yesterday descended upon Richmon6
stole more than $4,000 from the Cen
trail National Bank attempted to steal
q large sum OF money from under the
eyes OF John II. Miller III. a teller In
the First National Bank succeeded In
casninE three OF more forged certified
checks on tHchmouJ merchants. ana
disappeared without leaving a sign Of
their visit To the city except the va
cant spbt In the tills OF tn" Central
National Bank ana the forged checks.
which the police now hold.
The local business world MAS startled
during the early forenoon when II was
learned thnt AN attempt had been made
to rob the First National Bank II
w1s ALARMED during Etile. early after
noon SYhcn news leaked out that
forged Certified checks had been sue
ccssfully passed with the Planters
National Bank az victim. and bust
ness men were nearly paraly2ed by
the discovery late yesterday afternoon
that more than $4,000 had been stolen
from the Central National Bank while
the receiving teller. Lynwood T.. Vim
cent. OF North Rowland Street. was
talking with an alleged prospective de-
positor over the telephone.
BOLDEST ROnnEnY
KNOWN no LOCAL. I'OLICE
The theft OF the money from the
street. is the holdcSt which has ever
been consummatcd in Richmond, ac-
cordinS to the police There Is every
evidence that the robbery had been
planned TO the .nCst minute detail and
that events occurred exactly as the
robbers had anticipated. There was no
excitement and TO alarm. the loss OF
the money Was not discovered until
some time after Vincent had returned
from the tclcphnnc. and no one i'm the
,l...,-
person near his window during the
time he was absent. yet The money was
gone.
Detective Sergeant Louis Kcllam was
sent TO the Central National Bank at
5:25 o'clock In response 10 Il request
from Charles lIutzlcr. president OF the
institution. ON arriving at the bank
the details of the loss We're explained
According TO the statements made the
detective by officials OF the bank. Vim
cent Was dccoycd from his booth 10
u telephone in the next booth at exactly
:15 o'ciock. In The same booth with
the telephone was the switchboard on
orator, Miss Ranso.nc Neither heard
any one in the bank outside the wick
cts. and neither suspected the robbery.
RECEIVING TELLER WAS
CALLED TO TELEPHONE
Vincent informed Detective Eellam
that q man whose name was numbled
To him over the wire. and which he
WAS unable to understand. had told
him that tho bank had been recon-
-mended to him by clerks 1T the Rich
mond Hotel and that he wished to
"cnd Il woman friend of his there to
open an account. The man told Vim
cent that the woman was unused to
business methods, and that he hoped
she would be treated courteously and
Informed as to the routine to be OBJ
served In opening an account and in
checking on 1t.
The man prolonged his talk for some
time, and in rather rambling way,
Vincent told Detective Kellnm, and this
fact became so evident that the teller
was forced To tell him several times
that ii would he all riEht--to send
the woman to the bank. and that every
thing would be explained to her. lie
said the man still showed ~ disposition
to continue the discussion, and that
his talk became foolish that Vim
cent finally told him again to send the
woman to the institution and hung up
the receiver lie remarked on the con-
Ncrsation to the switchboard operator,
and returned TO his booth
MONEY WAS STtCKED
IN NEAT PACKAGES
This occurred between 1:15 O'Clock
and :2S O'Clock, while Vincent was
engaged In gathering together the
ends Of the days business, preparatory
to closing. He had left several piles
Of bills on the shelf within his window,
one of them containing $500 in $40
bills. which had been deposited but n
few minutes before On tho shelf were
also several other packets OF bills. all
neatly banded together, and mostly in
denominations OF $40. and packed In
piles of $3.50 each.
Vincent continued his work for few
minutes before he noticed the absence
of the packet containing tho $500. lie
.F.l
only to learn that not only was this
packet missing, but that several Others
were likewise gone from the shelf.
Cashier p. Il. GOODWIN was notified,
and ne Mt once Informed President
CONTINUED on Fifth Page)