The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-09-17
Combination of Safe In
Office Department Is
worked"
BOOTY IN
BONDS AND CASH
Negro Believed To Have
Committed Theft Is
Caught Carrollton.

erty Bonds, checks and cash were
stolen during Sunday night from the
Office of E. K. Myrick on Main street,
when the combination on the safe was
worked" and the cash drawer was
rifled. The robbery was discovered
this morning when the office was en-
tered by employees and the safe door
vas found standing open.
Entrance to the building was made
from the north, through a window OPP
ening on River Front. One of the
windowpanes was carefully removed
and the glass was not broken. The
finger prints of a mans hand were
plain visible on the glass.
After the combination was worked
the fobber was confronted with the
matter of opening the cash drawer
in the safe which was locked. This
was torn from the safe and pried out
The safe contained over a thous-
and dollars in checks, about $500 in
Liberty Bonds and between two and
three hundred dollars in cash. The
bonds were in so and 100 dollar de-
nominations. Two hundred and fifty
dollars in bonds belonged to Mr.. w.
ployees.
Another safe in the same office,
obtained considerable cash, but ap-
arently no effort was made to work
this cobination.
AS soon as the robbery was dis
covered this mornings the police were
notified. The bloodhounds were taken
to the scene and took up a scent and
led the robbers to the foot Of the
bridge across the Yazoo, leading to
North Greenwood. Here it is believed
that the person who committed the
robbery, got into an automobile as
the dogs were unable to follow the
trail further.
Thief Captured at Carrollton.
A telephone message received this
morning about 10 o'clock from Car
rol ton, stated that a negro named
John Smith, who was employed last
week by E. K. Myrick, had been ar
rested. It, was stated that he had
the booty in his possession. The ne
gro was turned over to the Carroll
County officers by another negro
named Charley Montgomery.
John had only worked for Mr.. My
rick five days. He assisted in the
changing of tires and a number of
times had been sent into the office
to clean up. How he happened to
know the combination to the safe is a
mystery to the employees.
John is large negro man and he
must have worked himself through
the window with considerable diff
Guilty as the pane removed was about
16 by Is inches.
Mr.. Myrick, Mr.. Shurtleff and one
of the county officers left this morn
ing for Carrollton to bring the negro
back to this city for trial.
When arrested John was in COM
pany with another negro, whom it is
believed is implicated in the crime.
Two negroes, John Smith and
| George Barber, who robbed the safe
in the office of E. K. Myrick Sunday
night, were brought to Greenwood
yesterday afternoon from Carrollton
by Sheriff T. C. Carrot and are now
confined in the county Jail, awaiting
trial. The entire booty the negroes
secured, amounted to over $4,000 in
checks, bonds and cash, all of which
was recovered.
The negroes told the sheriff the
safe was un ocked and stated that
they did not work the combination.
After securing the contents of the
safe, the two walked east past the
Planters Oil Mill and when they got
above the brick yard, they stopped
and sorted the checks from the money
and bonds. They replaced the checks
in the money till, which they took
with them from the safe and threw
it into a clump of weeds.
Then the two proceeded to the plan
tation of Mr.. j. F. Cortner and stole
a horse and buggy from a negro and
drove to Carrollton. They stopped at
the home Of Charley Montgomery, a
negro and left the horst and buggy
there, as the animal was worn out
and nearly exhausted.
Charley was suspicious of the two
and TO lowed them to the home of
MI. Turner. The negroes had made
arrangements with Mr.. Turner to
drive them to Grenada. Charley told
Mr.. Turner about the two leaving the
horse and buggy at his place. Mr..
Turner then decided to put the ne
groes in his car and drive them to
Carrollton on the p~retense of getting
gasoline. When they reached Carroll
ton they were turned over to the Off
GERS and Sheriff CARROT at Green
wood was notified.
The negroes secured 5000 in bonds,
$4O9 in money, and $4,000 in checks.
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