The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-08-24

y 4
an extra lookout. | shall visit the
Three Swans nightly for some weeks,
to find out, if possible, the moment
they arrive"
Six weeks passed away and we
heard no more of "White Haired Bob
by" or ''Sllppery jim" Mr. Brain
tree continued to visit the "Three
Swans" nightly, but heard nothing
further. We came TO the conclusion
that the two famous bank robbers had
changed their minds, and had gone to
exercise their enterprising profession
in a different field.
| We had forgotten all about the mat
ter, when one Saturday, in the middle
of the month Of September, while we
4 were busily engaged in our various
duties, a clerical individual entered
and asked to see the president. The
request was addressed to me, and /
had an excellent opportunity for OBJ
serving his external appearance.
He appeared to be about fOrty-fiVe
years Of age, Ofeommanding presence.
His face was fresh, fair and exceed
inglY good looking. His hands were
very white, and he wore q fine
diamond ring on the little finger of
the right hand. He was dressed in a
suit of black, which fitted him per-
fectly, and must have been made by a
first-elass tailor. 1t was this black
suit, together with the whitest and
stiffest of cravats, and a short sighted
eye glass which dangled from his neck,
and which he every now and then
raised to his eyes, that gave him the
intense clerical appearance to which /
| have referred above.
"Do you wish to see Mr.. Braintree
on business ?'' / asked.
''NOt exactly on business" return
ed the stranger; "but if he is dis
engaged, / should like TO speak to
him" --.-...
"Here is Mr.. BraintFee now" re-
piled, as the president stepped out of
his private room into the bank"
"Alr. Braintree," !" said the stranger
cOurteously removing his hat and
speaking in the moste tone, ''allOw
me to Introduce myself My name
is Elliot, the Reverend Robert Elliot.
l am an Episcopal clergyman, lately
appointed pastor to church in st.
Paul's. am now on my way there,
but can not leave until Monday. At
my hotel, to-day, heared TIE land
lord speak Of the extraordinary safety
vault you have attached to this bank.
As have penchant for seeing such
structures, / have thought perhaps
you would allow me to see yours, of
which have heard so much"
Certainly, sir, with pleasure re-
piled Mr.. Braintree, who, by the way, !
was particularly partial to clergymen,
doubtless because they formed sucn a |
striking contrast to the inhabitants of !
frontier cities. "Mr. Archer" added |
my chief, twill you be good enough |
to light the dark lantern and accom- !
pany us?' -
1t wanted about twenty minutes to |
our usual hour of closing the bank and |
/ had just finished my work. Had |
such not been the case, I should in all |
probability have sent one Of the clerks |
in my place.
There was nothing, however TO pre- |
vent me from doing as the president /
requested; I therefore lighted a dark |
lantern, and we all three descended |
the steps leading to the vault.
The specie and yaluables of the /
bank were kept in an immense iron |
safe which was placed in q ste1.a
chamber The ~ ALE OF IntS chamber /
were of extraordinary thickness, and |
sive iron door, which was secured by |
thick bar of iron fastened by an
immense paddock.
By this means the specie of the l
bank was dOubly protected, for, even |
suppOsing that arobbershould succeed |
in obtaining an entrance into the /
stone vault, he would still have to |
force the immense safe, a matter of /
possibility, unless he happened to |
to possess the secret, which was turn /
ming the handle around exactly seven /
times. Once more or less would be of |
no avail.
1 unlocked the paddock. leaving the
key in the lock, and we all entered |
the stone vault. The Rev. Mr.. Elliot |
appeared to be strangely interested in |
the place. He gazed around him, in
seeming wonder; he measured the
thickness of the wall, and the length |
and breath Of the stone room.
"Very secure! very secure indeed !"
he murmured. "YOu can set bank
robbers at defiance with a room like
this Mr.. Braintree."
ayes sir; believe we can, for even
if any one should succeed in getting
into the stone vault, they would still
have the safe to force"
''True, very true" responded the
reverend gentleman. "but / notice
one peculiarity about your safe" he
added, glancing toward it as bespoke,
',yOu have 10 lock on it."
81 is not necessary" returned Mr..
Braintree, 'fOr unless a person hap
pened to know the secret of opening
the door, would defy him to open it.
You see" added the president, suiting
the action to the word, ain order to
effect an entrance it is necessary to
turn the handle around exactly seven
times"
After the seventh time, Mr.. Brain
tree gave strong pull and the heavy
door slowly turned en- its hinges. The
reverend gentleman glanced inside
with excusable curiosity.
livery curious very curious, in
deed w lac murmured. "HOw wonder
ful is the ingenuity of nan %
At that moment Mr.. Braintree call
ed the clergyman to see something
else in the stone vault, and they both
moved away to the extreme end of the
apartment.
On glancing into the safe I noticed
that two ledgers were out of their
places. / entered the safe to place
them into their respective cases, when
either the clergyman or Mr.. Braintree
brushed past the safe, uncOnsciOusly
knocked against the door, as he did so,
which gave it such an impetus that it
closed on me, and the bolts slid
into their sockets and was
a prisoner.
There was an acoustic phenomenon
connected with this safe which never
heard explained, and that was, any
one shut inside it could hear every
word that was uttered in the vault,
while no noise that he might make
could reach the outside. / was aware
of that popularity and knew that it
was utterly useless for me to call
out.
The only hope / had was, that when
Mr.. Braintree missed me, he would
surmise where / was. But in a few
moments this illusion was dispelled.
"Why, where can Mr.. Archer be ~
1 heard Mr.. Braintree observe. "Oh
l remember now, he had an engage
ment after banking hours, and l
suppose he has gone to keep il, but l
think he might have left the lantern
with me. But we can find our way
out easy, enough"
heard them leave the vault, the
iron bar put up in its place, and the
key turned in the paddock.
/ realized the fact that there was no
hope for me. was a prisoner and
there l had to remain until Monday
morning.
1 was no pleasant thing to cOntem-
plate remaining shut up there forty
two hours without food or water; but
there was no help for it, for I knew
that all the screaming in the world
would only be so much breath wasted;
therefore determined to take matters
as philOsOphieally as 1 could, and not
indulge in useless repining.
Fortunately had in my pocket
volume of Shakespeare, and the dark
lantern was also in my possession. I
made a seat for myself ofsome ledgers
and turning down the lamp to a point
at which could read conveniently, I
began to enjoy myself as well as the
circumstances Of the case would per-
nit.
I read for five or six hours, and I
~, E,Tvv go l,r,4 =