FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS STOLEN FROM A SALOON SAFE ALMOST UNDER THE
OWNER'S EYES--THE THIEF ESCAPES AND IS WELL GONE WHEN GEN. COOK GETS
ON THE TRACK--A REWARD OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS--VISIT TO A PAWNBROKER'S
SHOP--THE DETECTIVES GET A CLUE--CHASE OF RECKLESS ROCKY M'DONALD, WHO
PROVES TO BE THE GUILTY PARTY--THE THIEF LOCKED UP AND THE MONEY
TURNED OVER IN TWO HOURS' TIME--THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION PITTED
AGAINST THE POLICE AND THE SHERIFF'S FORCE.
One of the boldest robberies on record was committed one cold evening
during the Christmas holidays of 1879, at the saloon of C. E.
Leichsenring, then on the corner of Sixteenth and Holladay streets,
Denver, supplemented by one of the most adroit captures ever effected in
the city. The particulars in the case are about as follows: It was near 8
o'clock when Mr. Leichsenring was induced to open his safe, in the rear of
the saloon, by a man named Ayer, who represented himself to be a United
States marshal from Leadville, and expressed a desire to examine the
complicated workings of the time lock on the inner door of the safe, which
was one of the small Hall patterns, and an object of great interest as a
mechanical contrivance.
While Mr. Leichsenring was explaining the process of locking and opening
the door of the same to Ayer, his attention was for a moment attracted to
another part of the house, and it is supposed that the robbery was
committed during the brief period that his back was turned. The theory is
that during this interim, an accomplice of Ayer, named Rocky McDonald,
took out of the safe a canvas bag containing $4,800 in $20 and $10 gold
pieces and some government bonds, altogether amounting to $5,000, and
walked out of the saloon before the absence of the bag was noticed.
When Mr. Leichsenring turned around he immediately detected that the safe
had been robbed, and thinking that Ayer was the guilty party, immediately
seized him and turned him over to Officer Newman, who at that juncture
happened to enter the saloon. The report of the robbery spread like
wildfire, and the amount stolen was quickly exaggerated to $8,000 in gold.
McDonald's presence had been noticed by three or four other men, who were
seated in the saloon at the time, but no one had seen him take the money.
Mr. Leichsenring notified the sheriff's office and the police as speedily
as possible, and officers flocked to the scene of the robbery by the
dozen. Gen. Cook was at that time neither sheriff nor chief of police, but
his detective association was as active as ever and "just aching" for a
neat job in which it might distinguish itself. Consequently Gen. Cook
proceeded to Leichsenring's saloon, and, after elbowing his way through
the crowd of policemen and deputy sheriffs who lined the sidewalk on the
outside, found Mr. Leichsenring very much excited. He welcomed Cook with
open arms and asked him to go to work in the case. He offered first a
reward of $500 and then of $1,000 for the recovery of the money, and
proclaimed in loud tones, as Dave went out:
"I'll give $1,000 for the capture of the thief and the money, and if Dave
Cook finds him, I authorize him to take his pay out of the bag."
The officers scattering in all directions, policemen, deputy sheriffs and
private detectives, started out to scour the town. There was incentive to
work for now. A big reward was offered. Mr. Cook walked quietly back to
his office and put several of his best officers to work, including Joe
Arnold and Capt. C. A. Hawley. He then started out himself.
He had been on the street less than an hour when he was approached by a
business man and furnished with a clue which very soon led to the arrest
of the guilty party. This man told the detective a story which interested
him very much. It was to the effect that a man answering the description
of McDonald had applied to Lou Rothgerber, the pawnbroker, doing business
then, as now, on Larimer street, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth, for a
peculiar kind of expensive watch, used only by horsemen in timing races,
and not having anything in his show cases meeting the demands of his
customer, Rothgerber procured one at the jewelry store of Messrs. Hatch,
Davidson & Co., which he sold to McDonald, together with a heavy chain,
for $530, receiving his payment in gold.
Proceeding to Rothgerber's shop Mr. Cook found a policeman standing near
the entrance, who being questioned stated that he had seen McDonald enter.
"Did he have any money?"
"Yes, a pile of it."
"Where did he get it?"
"He told me that he had just sold a mine for $10,000."
"Which way did he go?"
"I don't know."
The policeman had heard of the Leichsenring robbery, but he did not
suppose that a man who had been shrewd to get away with $5,000, as the
Leichsenring robber had been, would be fool enough to carry it around so
loosely as McDonald had been doing, hence did not connect him with the
theft. Cook knew more than the policeman did, and now felt sure that he
was on the right track, and that he would get his man. Proceeding into
Rothgerber's place he succeeded in ascertaining that his man had been
there, though, for some reason, his actions did not arouse any suspicion.
He had not only been in and bought a costly watch, but had left all his
money with the exception of a few hundred dollars with Rothgerber for safe
keeping. Here was a big point gained already. The money was virtually
recovered, leaving nothing to do but to secure the thief. Taking
Rothgerber into custody that the money might be held secure, the detective
went on his way. It was not difficult to trace McDonald. He had spent his
money freely, giving it away wherever fancy dictated, and tossing a $20
gold piece to the policeman at Rothgerber's door.
Leaving Rothgerber's, McDonald had taken a hack a short time previous and
driven up Holladay street. Gen. Cook then prosecuted his search, and among
some of the houses of ill-repute abounding in that portion of the city,
and finding that at one of these places McDonald had spent $10 for two
bottles of wine, was soon in a condition to direct Officers Dorsey and
Phillips to arrest not only McDonald, but another man whom he suspected of
complicity, named Davis, telling the officers that he wanted the two men
for larceny, but saying nothing about the suspected connection of them
with the Leichsenring case. The two men were picked up with but little
difficulty and turned over to Gen. Cook, who, after returning Mr.
Leichsenring's money to him, made public the fact of the arrest and the
securing of the treasure. As may be readily supposed there was
considerable rejoicing on the part of Mr. Leichsenring, and the public was
not slow to recognize the service which had been rendered. Commenting upon
the case the next morning, the _Rocky Mountain News_ said: "The rapidity
with which the capture followed the act--no matter how it may have been
accomplished--speaks volumes for the sagacity of the Rocky Mountain
Detective Association, and they are honorably entitled to a liberal
reward."
Ayer, it should here be stated, was also arrested. The prisoners were
taken to the detectives' headquarters, searched, the watch and six $20
gold pieces found on McDonald's person and two more in the possession of
his partner. Rothgerber, who had been detained, was released upon
producing the total amount deposited by McDonald and proving that he had
no knowledge of the robbery at the time he sold the watch. McDonald,
together with Ayer and Davis, were locked up to await examination.
All these men remained in jail for several weeks. The trial resulted in
the discharge of Davis and Ayer, whose complicity could not be fully
established, but McDonald was sent to Cañon City to remain until 1887.
The entire case was concluded, the prisoners jailed and the money returned
to its owners in two hours after it was placed in Cook's hands. With the
exception of a few assistants of his own association he had no aid, while
there was a small army of police and sheriffs on the lookout. Comment is
unnecessary.
A DEAL WITH THE BLACK HILLS ROAD AGENTS.