#healey building

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Historic marker on the Healey marking it as a NHRP site.

Photo by @wdarling

[healeybldg]

101 years ago, there was a pretty major robbery at the Healey. What was $40,000 in 1918 is close to $700,000 today. The good news is that investigators didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to try to do something with the securities, kind of like if you steal art from a museum.

$40,000 stolen from skyscraper

Atlanta Constitution; Mar. 14, 1918

Office in the Healey building is scene of burglary which nets many valuable securities to the perpetrators

The loss of securities of the face value of $40,000 dollars is reported as the result of a safe robbery sometime between 6 o'clock Saturday night and 8 o'clock Monday morning from room 1012 Healey Building. P. Vernon Oswald, president of the American Chemical and Mining Company, reports that upon entering his office Monday morning he found the large iron safe had been opened and the two wooden drawers in the iron cash compartment had been forced.

The matter was reported to the city detectives into the Pinkerton agency, and it was found that the door, in the opinion of the detectives, had been opened with the key and the combination secured from a book in one of the drawers in Mr. Oswald's desk, which had been forced, as had the other desk in the office used by J.C. Clarke, uncle of Mr. Oswald, and vice president of the company.

The robbery was kept quiet in the hope that private investigations might develop a clue which could lead to the recovery of the papers, but so far it is announced that nothing has developed. The company is a closed corporation having a capital stock of $100,000, all held by members of the same family, and the concern has a high reading in both Dun and Bradstreet.

Many negotiable papers

The loss included Durham Hosiery mills 7 percent preferred stock to the amount of $12,000 issued in the name of Mrs. Anna Martin Muske, a sister-in-law of the president of the company, who resides with his family in Atlanta. A series of monthly notes, given by the Gainesville Limestone company to the American Chemical and Mining company of the face value of $20,500. Another series of monthly notes of the American Chemical and Mining company to Mrs. P.V. Oswald, valued at $4,000.

Liberty Bonds for the 4 percent series of the denominations of one $100 bond and three $50 bonds. Cash, including gold coins, was taken to the amount of $115. In the opinion of Mr. Oswald and the manager of the Pinkerton agency, none of the fruits of the robbery will prove negotiable aside from the Liberty Bonds and the cash.

While unwary speculators might be induced to make loans upon some of the collateral, especially the Durham Hosiery stock, which is rated as gilt-edge, the officers consider it doubtful if investors could be found who would risk any substantial sum without investigation. This stock is not endorsed and would require forged endorsement to give the appearance of its being transferable.

Peculiar features

In the opinion of the detectives there are peculiar features to the case, the fact that the combination was taken from a book in the president’s desk appears to indicate the perpetrator must of had knowledge of the fact that it was kept somewhere in the office and the added fact that among all the offices in the big building, many of which would give greater apparent promise of which would give greater apparent promise of rich loot, this one small office was selected for the operations.

Detective Bass Rosser, of the city force, is working on the case and the Pinkertons have been retained by the company and will institute a separate investigation. Neither of these is yet willing to make a statement as to their preliminary conclusions in the matter.

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Staircase, Healey Building, Atlanta, GA

Photos by @wdarling

[tonisgodchild]

[tonisgodchild]

[healeybldg]

Business news from the Healey...

Bank Clerks Find a Friend in Holt

Atlanta Constitution, Mar. 5, 1917

Manager Healey Building Café Prepares Special 2:30 Lunches for Them

To show their appreciation of the forethought of Mssrs. Holt and Christian, who provide good things to eat at the Healey Building café, the bank clerks of Atlanta are giving them a most liberal patronage these days

The café managers realized that bank officials and employees could not get away from their duties until about 2:30 PM and in consequence when they ran out for a little regular noonday lunch, it generally happened that whatever had been provided for the lunch hour was either cleaned up or had gotten cold. Here is where the Healey sprung a new wrinkle. It was serving a special dinner -– at prices ranging from 25 cents to 50 cents -- and they were so popular that ordinarily they were about cleaned up at 2:30. But they made special provision for the bank clerks, and so informed them. They reserve enough of their regular dinners, keeping it nice and warm for the bank tellers. Just as soon as the bank boys got on to the plan of the Healey Café managers, they began showing their appreciation by dropping it in -– and now, if you want to find most of the money-counters of the city long about 2:30 to 3 pm, this is the Healey Café. They're all they're eating the splendid dinners saved or prepared especially for them. This is just one of the special kinds of service Manager Holt has inaugurated since taking hold of this café.

The special club breakfast and club dinners -– from 6 to 10 pm – served at 25 cents at the Healey Café are growing more popular with each day, and Manager Holt is particularly pleased that so many ladies are now taking advantage of their eating place.

The Healey Café is one of the very few large restaurants in the country who closed their doors on Sunday. "We serve the folks good enough for six days," says Mr. Holt, "and when Sunday comes we want to help to have an opportunity to rest and go to church. That's why we close on Sunday. 

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A teaser for the opening of the Healey, which did indeed open in January 1914.

Healey building will be complete by January

The Atlanta Constitution; August 11, 1913

Work is actively progressing on the Healey building, and by January it will be ready for occupancy. Fronting on Walton, Forsyth and Poplar Streets, it has one of the best locations in the city, and is opposite the post office.

The building will be sixteen stories in height above ground with a basement and sub-basement. Both exterior and interior will be finished in Atlanta terra-cotta. A battery of six elevators of the Otis electric traction type will be installed.

Everything about the building will be fireproof construction. The very latest safety devices will be installed and everything done for the safety of the persons within the structure.

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Another dose of Healey rumors, this one from a real estate roundup.

Atlanta's Strides from Day to Day: All the News of Real Estate and Building

The Atlanta Constitution; Sept. 18, 1913

The first floor-plans of the Healey Building, showing the arrangements of the offices on each floor, were mailed yesterday to prospective tenants.

They show there will be 32 offices to each floor above the second, of various sizes.

While there has been a demand for offices in the Healey Building, owing to the fact that the definite location of offices on each floor could not be exactly ascertained, a number have held back until these charts appeared.

From time to time there have been rumors that a million dollar trust company would occupy the ground floor of the building, but so far this has been denied by the renting agents. However, some announcement of the ground floor tenants will be made shortly, it is thought.