The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-08-24
ROU6iIEg tie Bank.

A few days ago, while staying at
Atlantic City, met at my hotel a
! fine, gray haired old gentleman,
whose conversation greatly interested
me. He had evidently seen a great
deal of the world, and was especially
eonversant with everything connect
ed with the banking business.
In few days we became quite COM
paniOns, and Mr.. James Archer flor
Btzoh was the name OF my new lriend)
informed me that he had been engag-
ed i'm the banking business all his life,
having at various times filed the diff
ferent offices of cashier, teller and
president. g-
al should suppose" I observed,
"that the banking business offers few
er dramatic episodes than any other
profession" -
''I don't agree with you there,n re-
turned Mr.. Archer, '.iudging from my
own experience, should say that
there are but few professions which
offer more dramatic scenes"
'You have been an actor in some
scenes of this character ?p I asked.
''I have, indeed. Let us sit down
here on the porch, and will tell you
what happened to me once out West"
So saying, we fixed ourselves COM
fortably ,and Mr.. Archer related to me
the following exciting episode of his
life.
Some thirty years ago was cashier
in a bank situated in the city of Mil
waukee, in the State of Wisconsin.
Although large place now, Milwau-
kee at the time refer to was long,
struggling town, with a very rough
class of inhabitants.
Like all places on the eXtremeverge
of civilization, the law was almost a
dead letter. Horse thieves, robbers
and murderers were there in such
numbers that they struck terror in
law abiding citizens, and no jury could
be found to convict the most heinous
offender. If it CHANGED to leak out
that any of the twelve jurors were in
favor of bringing in yerdictOf guilty
his or their lives were sure to pay the
forfeit Of their sense of justice.
As natural consequence of living
in such a state of society, every man
walked abroad with his life in his
hand, and without a single exception
every one went armed to the teeth. /
have known men to be shot down like
dogs for a word, or even a look.
There were hundreds of men who
made it their especial business to try
to pick up quarrels with the better
class; that they might have q chance
of killing and rObbing them.
You viii readily understand that
carrying on bank under these cir
cumstances was a most ardUous task.
Every one of the employees was heav-
lily armed, and the vaults built for the
specie and valuables of the bank were
of the most massive character. In
fact so much was this the case, that
they became kind of a show place
for strangers; and every one who hap
pened to be detained in the city was
sure to visit the vault of the Citizens
Bank.
Our president was 3 strong, power
full, energetic man, who had more
than once proved his courage IN the
melee; consequently the ruffians of
the place kept him at distance, and
for two years after the bank was start
ed, no one offered to mOlest us. We
had orders from him to shoot down
the first man that showed the slight
est disposition to be aggressive.
Mr.. Braintree, for such was our
presidents name, was accustomed to
mingle great deal with the rOugher
portion of the community, thinking
by this means he might learn if there
was any scheme on foot to attack the
bank. OF course, these inquiries were
always made in disguise, and, indeed,
Mr.. Braintree possessed the art of so
altering his features that he could de-
ceive even his own family, and par
ticular friends, when assisted by the
aid of dress.
He had carried out his plan for
about two years without anything Oe-
curing TO prove its necessity or use
fulness, when one hot July morning
he entered the bank about an hour
earlier than was usual with him.
"GOOd morning, Mr.. Archer" he
said to me- he took of his fine black
coat, and put on an easy fitting blouse.
"GOod morning, Mr.. Braintree.
You are early this morning"
"Yes-I have something particular
to tell you, and / thought it better TO
lose no time. You must know, in the
first place, that I visited the Three
Swans last night.n
The Three Swans" was one of the
lowest taverns in the place, and the
rendezvous for all the desperate char
acters III the town and neighborhOod.
There was scarcely a night passed that
some one was not killed there.
"YOu visited in disguise, 1 suppose ?"
l remarked.
Certainly. was disguised as a
drover, and had the extreme pleasure
of being taken for horse thief by all
the scOundrels present"
"That is at least compliment to
your success in Disgusting YOURSELF"
returned.
"Yes-that's true. l learned some
thing at the Three Swans last night,
Mr.. Archer, which nearly concerns
us.n
'Indeed,"I returned, pricking up
my ears.
You have heard of white Haired
Bobby ," said Mr.. Braintree.
DO you mean the great bank rob
ber?" 1 asked.
'Yes, he himself. He has robbed
more banks than any ten men in the
United States. He has never failed
D - -