Schley County GaArchives News.....Ellaville bank robbery 1894 January 30 1894 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Harris Hill http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002514 June 15, 2004, 9:39 am The Atlanta Constitution The Atlanta Constitution January 30, 1894 CLEANED OUT THE SAFE Burglars get $7,585 from the Planters' Bank of Ellaville ELLaville, Ga., January 29.--(Special)--The Planters' bank of Ellaville was robbed last night of $7, 585 by cracksmen. They drilled holes in the safe and filled the holes with powder and blew the door off. There is no clue to the identity of the burglars. The county commissioners have offered $500 reward for the burglars. From the tracks it is judged that one of the cracksmen wore a No. 5 1/2 shoe and was pigeon toed. Another wore a No. 9. The toes of his shoes were square. The loss falls heavily on the town, as most every one had some money in the bank. The burglars left a large monkey wrench, Cole's make, No. 583, and took off a Winchester rifle belonging to Cashier Clark. Telegrams have been sent to all sheriffs. The Atlanta Constitution February 1, 1894 "SWAMP FOX" DID IT Detective Bill Jones and an Atlanta Traveling Man Solve The Ellaville Bank Robbery Detective Jones Makes a Neat Pile, and a Drummer Scores a Point--The Cashier Confesses. Detective Bill Jones, otherwise known as the "Swamp Fox," and Mr. R.J. Wiles, traveling representative of the Herring-Marvin safe, 34 West Alabama street, this city, have solved the Ellaville bank robbery and created a huge sensation thereby. News of the shrewed work of these two well-known Atlanta gentlemen reached the city yesterday in communications from both of them and the story of their work is one that reads like a cleverly constructed piece of fiction. Mr. Jones was working in the interest of the bank to detect the despoilers, and Mr. Wiles was trying to find out how one of the safes sold by his company came to yield to the expert work of a safe blower. This work led to unexpected results. The safe of the Planters' bank of Ellaville, Ga., was blown open Sunday night, and the entire amount of cash contained in it was taken. The bank books showed that exactly $7,609 was in the safe when it was closed by the cashier Saturday night. This sum represented a large number of small deposits made by the people of Ellaville, merchants and others. There was little clue to the safe blowers. Tracks of two men were found around the bank building, and from one of the tracks it appeared that the owner of the foot that made it was considerably down at the heels. A fine rifle, the property of Cashier James Ed Clark, was taken by the robbers. The robbery caused great excitement at Ellaville, and was the final death blow to the banking institution, which had been seriously injured by a faulty loan made to some Americus parties a year ago. The people were greatly exercised over the robbery, as many of them had money in the bank. A reward of $500 was offered for the robbers by the county commissioners. This stimulated a numbe rof detectives to work on the case. Detective Bill Jones was telegraphed to and he went at once. Mr. B.F. Smith, of Atlanta, local representative of the Herring Marvin safes, was greatly puzzled over the blow up, and on Monday morning he dispatched Mr. R.J. Wiles to Ellaville to look into the matter, which to him, even at a distance looked fishy. Mr. Wiles is an expert in the safe business and after looking at the dismantled safe in the Ellaville Bank, he ventured the positive opinion that it had been robbed before being blown open. This was evident to the practiced eye. The wreck was not as complete as it would have been had the work been done from the outside. It seemed very evident that the door had been opened and the powder necessary to blow it of its hinges placed inside. To this powder a fuse was attached. This was in line with some very material discoverie made by the shrewed eye of Detective Bill Jones. He had worked to great effect, and it was but a short while before his foxy eye was directed with suspicious gaze to the cashier, James E. Clark. All Ellaville was amazed yesterday morning when Detective Jones culminated his fine piece of work by arresting Clark. Clark has been cashier of the bank since its organization and stood high. He had the full confidence of Mr. W.D. Murray, the president, who is well known as an ex-member of the state senate. It was received with astonishment when Clark confessed having taken the money from the safe. He said that he extracted the cash, placed the powder inside, and then bolted, not locking the door. A large part of the money was recovered and returned to the bank officials. Clark was terribly cast down over his disgrace and swallowed a large dose of laudanum. It was thought that he could not be saved, but after hard work, he was brought around. Mr. Wiles telegraphed a long statement of the affair to Mr. B.F. Smith, who furnished it to the press. Detective Jones will pull in a fine reward for his clever work in the case. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb