The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-07
SCIENTIFIC CRIME.
STEAM BURGLARY.

THE BURGLARS.
The New York Herald gives an account
of recent remarkable attempt to rob
bank by means of steam power: The metro
polls was yesterday startled by a genuine
attempt at bank burglary after the most
scientific and approved methods. An ac-
joining house to the New York county
bank ouilding on Eighth avenue. had been
taken by the burglars, and from 1t they had
begun their mine into the vaults when they
were discovered. Three were captured, but
the principal criminal escaped. 1t has for
several years been regarded as a settled fact
that the corner of Eighth avenue end Four
teen street was not a profitable site for an
oyster house. So strongly impressed with
| this idea have the business men in that
neigh borhood become that they not only de-
clile5 to compete with the chop house
already opened In the vicinity, but began
to adopt the strictly cash system In all their
dealing with their fellow tradesmen who
were unfortunate enough TO be located there.
The steaks could not be paid for, the butch
ers reasoned, and the house pay expenses
/ The vendors of chinaware and cooking
utensils evidently formed much the same
idea, for all former proprietors of the said
| esta blishment have been stricken from their
credit rolls. The surprise of the avenue
| may be imagined, therefore. when In the
latter part Of March an enterprisipg gentle
man, giving his name as Gilmore, leased the
premises at No. SO Eighth avenue, and
opened the house in a style which made old
habitues of the corner marvel. Gilmore
was exceedingly affable man. He was
pre-eminently qualified to reply to adj
vertisements from property owners for gen
teel parties who would be willing to be-
come tenants. He became popular at once,
and Mr.. Arthur, who owned the premises,
was perfectly willing to close the contract FOR
s.. 900; $, 900 were paid in cash by the genial
Gilmore, and mortgage for the remain
ing $4,000 was given. 1t did not strike
1.-THE oUANDUM PROPRIETOR
as at all remarkable that Gilmore agreed
to the foreclosure of the mortgage on the
LIST of August if the balance was not paid
1t might have occurred to some business
men that this was not case of remarkable
confidence in human ability. Doubtless
this willingness to stand or fall in the noble
, effort to establish chop house was ascribed
to Gilmore's generosity. Then, remarkable
to relate, Gilmore had the faculty of paying
, his bills promptly. The butchers, tin and
china ware men and others began to frater-
niZe with the agreeable proprietor. Mr.. Gill
more was an enterprising man. He took a
great step forward by renting the building
in the rear of his own, which opened on
Fourteenth street, just below the corner of
Eighth avenue. At this stage of the nara
tive il may be incidentally mentioned, first,
that there is a bank at the corner of Hthese
two great tboroughfares, and second,
that by the possession of this bill
lard hall the genial Gilmore, as it
were. took the banking house within
his embrace. If this fact had ever occurred
to any OF the neighbors, or had it been gen.
orally known that he rented both the build
, ing on Eighth avenue and the one OF Four
teenth street for his sole occupancy, not even
the most cautious depOsitOr would have
, been uneasy, for Gilmore was aN"square''
|, man and paid his debts. Equally worthy of
remark was it that he always opened and
closed both the chop house and the billiard
hall himself. He was always present and
saw to his own business strictly. Industry
has its reward, and in this case it is fact
capable of veriication that at least one
tradesman in the locality "felt that the bank
was more secure because Gilmore was so
/ near it." AS the weeks rolled around
THE ENTERPRIsING PROPRIETOR,
who had so firmly established himself in the
confidence of everybody that he did not hes
itate to admit that he hailed from Washing
ton City, opened dancing academy over
the billiard room on Fourteenth street
Everybody was glad oft, the receipts of the
establishment were large. The large brown
stone edifice onthe northwest corner is ocupi
ed by the New York County and the New
York Savings banks. The latter is located
in the basement story, and the former on the
floor directly above, reached from the street
by iron stairs. Now, had the suave Gilmore
taken the trouble to read the annual reports
to the state banking superintendent, or to
have consulted the city directory, he would
have learned that he was passing his days
and nights Of honest labor in the very closest
? proximity to over 50, 000, 900 of cash and col
laterals, But the chop house business was
paying, and Gilmore was going it strong
G.. A. Davis, a carpenter on Fourteenth
street. was employed to erect TO strong
partitions in the cellar. both extending from
wall to wall, and infected 10 deaden the
! noise on the street. 80 thac the scullery
= hoIIer ~or heating the billiard room
s and supplying hot waters to the
6 bars would not be interrupted. To be sure,
it was summer, but then a steam boiler was
!. useful article to have in the house, and the
partitions were put in. a day or two after
Gilmore engaged a workman of Alexander
McCarel OI No. 81 Eighth avenue, to move
! a small tubular boiler of unusual strength
i from the kitchen into the back cellar. The
I. boiler was moved and put in position.
Gilmore was practical man, he believed in
: utilizing the tradesmen and merchants of
= the neIghborhood. Such was the romance
u lQf Gilmore's triumph where others had
: failed, just as it would have been told on
. Friday evening to any one who might have
u "dropped' into the establishment OF this
y gracious DaKef OF CLAIMS ana V6DOef o.
: drin ks. Still there was one reality about
: this mans life. About midnight on FRIDAY,
o as officer Keller, of the Sixteenth precinct
!. was on his post in front OF the New York
q Savings Bank, be imagined that he atected
], the sound ola drift, which seemed 70 come
% from the counting room. Keller waited
n quietly until his side pa. tner on Fourteenth
of street, Officer Sinclair, came to the corner.
whom he at once informed OF his suspicious
and sent him by a circuitous route to
Is THE STATION HOUSE
n for assistance. Q. w. Brinkerhof, the secre
-e tary of the bank, was also notified. Captain
, Cherry, who had become anxious about tn