The Daily Citizen

A HEAVY ROBBERY.

BURGLARS BREAK OPEN A VAULT DOOR

And Steal Fifty-Nine Thousand Dollars, Which Was to Have Been Used in Paying Off Hands—The Burglars Escape.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., September 21.—A special from Hurley, Wis., says: Every month about this time the Ashland and Germania Iron Mining Company pay off their large forces of employees, and for this purpose Cashier Willey, of the Ashland National Bank, shipped an immense sum of money to Hurley last night via the United States Express Company.

Upon the arrival of the money at Hurley, the express company sent it to the Iron Exchange Bank in a wheelbarrow. Between the hours of 10.30 and 11.30 last night the bank was entered and the entire amount of the shipment, carried away by robbers. Only minor coin was left behind.

According to Cashier Wiley's statement, $41,700 was shipped from Ashland to Hurley. Of this $25,190 was in bank notes, $13,980 in gold, and $2,540 in silver.

The robbers had their plans laid most perfectly. Like nearly every bank, the Hurley depository has a vault and safe inside of it with a time lock. As the money arrived in town at 9.15 p. m., after the closing of the bank, it could not be put in the safe. It was placed inside the vault, however, and Cashier Reynolds remained in the bank, taking care of the large treasure, until 10.15 o'clock, when a friend came along and he went out to the theatre with him. When the cashier returned at 11.30, he noticed that the vault door had been opened. Looking inside he was thunderstruck to see that the money was gone. A large number of small silver coins were scattered over the floor of the vault and all was confusion.

Sheriff Mattson was hurriedly telegraphed to, but did not receive any notice of the robbery until too late to catch the train for Hurley. Not even the faintest clue was left by the burglars. The door of the vault had not been moved and it was opened by some one who had learned the combination. There were only two men supposed to be in possession of it, cashier Reynolds and assistant cashier Leonard Perring.

The exact amount stolen was $59,895. The robbers were evidently in too much of a hurry to take the small silver, and $1,805 was left behind. The United States Express Company is the loser of the money. They did not deposit it in the bank, but merely left it there for safe keeping over night, when it would be delivered to consignee, manager M. M. Lyon, of the Ashland and Germania mines. It is likely that the express company will announce a heavy reward for the apprehension of the burglars.