South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-24
$4,000 LOOT OF
BANDIT VANISHES
Youth Serving Sentence After
Half of Stolen Goods is
Returned.

HELENA. Mont. oct 24-The
Commitment Of Charles Stevens. 10,
of this city. 20 the state penitcntiary
at Deer Lodge. for term OF from
seven 20 "a years has renewed inter
est here I'm the mystery surrounding
tho whereabouts OF approximately
$4,000. half Of the $4,000 in cur
rency stolen by Stevens while acting
az messenger for a local bank
The story OF young Stevens
crime. the recovery Of "A portion Of
the money and the search for an
elusive Mr. Smith" who is suppos-
"a 10 have disappeared with the
missing money was revealed here by
detectives following denial by the
state Supreme court Of "A new trial
for stevens. after ne had been con-
victed Of the theft
stevens Found Bound.
Young Stevens. who was a mes
scuger Of the Union Bank and Trust
Co. Of Helena. was found In an al
ley not far from the bank an hour
after he had left the post office with
$4,000 In currency consigned TO the
bank He was bound, gagged and
apparently unconscious. The $4O,-
900 was nowhere 10 he found.
Stevens was revived and told a
lurid tale Of having been attacked,
beaten and robbed. as ne cut across
the alleys TO the bank. He said two
men had attacked him and de-
scribed them in detail
Since Helena IS "A small town and
the time was mid-afternoon. the
story was questioned lie was taken
10 jail and after two days Re admit
ted that he had evolved the yarn
from a movie he had seen.
He had declared that the cashier
OF the bank had been his accomplish
and was to have shared in the
spoils.
After a severe grilling, however,
young Stevens finally admitted that
he had stolen the money and that
he would show the officers where he
had hidden it.
Bank officials. officers. newspaper
men and a string OF spectators fol-
lowed him TO the rear of the build
ing where he had been found bound.
He said the money was concealed in
a hole in the wall. inside the build
ing. which was deserted.
Money Disappears.
He put his hand into the hole
Then he looked blank, then fright
ened and finally said there was
nothing there. He insisted he had
left II there. A thorough search
proved there was no money any
where on the premises A grueling
cross examination failed TO shake
the story, and II became apparent
that Stevens was telling the truth.
But where was the money?
There were almost as many theo-
ries as there were inhabitants Of
Helena and officers spent a busy
two weeks trailing down false clues.
Then the lavish expenditures of a
family in a small town near Helena
attracted attention. Their story OF
the sudden death of a wealthy rela-
tive was found to be false and Of
flcers began to investigate their
source OF income. During the in
quiry, which covered several days.
il is believed that a detective twice
sat on the hidden money-Once
while he occupied a cushioned chair
and again when he reposed on
couch.
''Mr. Smith" Disappears.
The suspected family consisted of
husband and wife and a brother of
the wOman-the mysterious Mr..
Smith" Mr.. Smith" disappeared
soon after investigation of the fam
ily started.
One day, while a detective was
questioning the woman, the hus-
band abruptly left the room. The
detective followed him 20 a heap of
rubbish and watched him pull out of
an old flour sack a huge pile OF
bills, part OF the missing $4,000.
According TO the detective the
husband related this story
The man and his brother-in -law.