Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-04

expanded and confirmed by the admis-
sion that he possessed no less q sum
than f3, 200. The old proverb-"f Ill.
got, ill-spent"-did not hold good in
his case, for it was all invested in Gov
eminent securities. In fact, as the
Judge who presided at the trial told the
Jury, he seems to have been called into
the cas- because of his professional
talents, in the same way as an eminent
lawyer or physician might have been.
Pierce, who, before he became a
grocer, had been in the employ of the
company, first preached the subject to
Agar before his visit to the United
States, but he then deemed it impracti-
cable. Upon his return, Pierce asked
him if he had thought any more of the
robbery. Agar said he believed it would
be impracticable unless an impression
of the keys could be procured. Pierce
then said he thought he could get an
impression if Agar would undertake the
business. This he agreed to do, it be-
ing understood that two other persons,
Burgess and Tester, were to be con-
nected with the affair. About twelve
months before the robbery Agar went
NoWh w 1OlhCSLOAC W IGCoulClbC1s
Tester was at that time station master
at Margate, and at his house Agar stay
ed over night. Tester showed the eX-
pert an iron safe with a Chubb lock at
Margate Station, and asked if that
would be OF any service in making the
keys. Agar explained that it would
not, and Tester growled at the ill-iuck
which had caused the sob to be putup"
S late. He was himself at one time in
the FOlkestone Station and could have
got hold OF the keys if needed. Agar,
however, did not despair. On his re-
turn to London he suggested that
Pierce and himself should take the sea
air for a time, engaging apartments at
Folkestone. They could thus watch
the trains in and out, and see how the
keys of the buliion-chest were to be got
at. They accordingly took up their
quarters, under assumed names, at a
first-class house in Folkestone and stay
ed there a fortnight. Every day they
went down to the harbor on the arrival
of the tidal train from London, and of
the BOulOgne boat, and watched care
fully to see what was done with the
keys. This visit took place nearly a
year before the robbery was accom-
plished. Owing to their presence at
the Station SO often, the police took no.
tice of them, and the Inspector follow
ed Pierce. He "took MIN through the
town." got away, and returned TO Lon
don. Agar returned q few days later.
Their trip had not been bootless; they
had noticed the arrival and departure
of the bullion-chest, and on one occa-
sion saw it opened. 1t was placed on
the platform, and q man named
Sherman came and locked it with
a key which was attached to a label
from which another key was suspended.
Agar saw Sherman take these into the
station-house. About eight or nine
months before the robbery it was again
arranged that he should 90 to
Folkestone. Tester met him, as if by
chance, and introduced him to Sher-
man. The latter, however, turned out
to be ga very sedate young man." and
no information could be CLEANED from
him. The matter now rested for a
while, and it seemed as If it must be
abandoned, when Tester, who was then
in the London office, wrote that one of
NV oupAiSdeO h0Jo was ASGts tuat JIG
chest was going to Messrs. Chubb's to
have the combination changed and new
keys fitted, and that he was to take
charge of the matter, and to receive the
new keys from Chubb's. Pierce and
Agar met him by appointment at a
beer-shop in Tooley Street; he brought
the new key with him, Agar retired to
a bedroom, took an impression of it,
and returned it to Tester, who hurried
around to the office without exciting
any suspicion by his delay.
This stroke of good luck encouraged
the confederates, though it was but a
single step gained. AS only one key
had been lost, only one lock had been
overhauled (each safe had two), and
the key of the other had never been in
Testers possession. 1t must be get
hold of, and the way in which this was
done is oAe of the boldest strokes the
friends attempted. The man at Folke-
stone who had charge of the keys and
his assistant used occasionally, on the
arrival of the Boulogne boat, to leave
the station-house ~unoccupied for some
ten minutes. The lock of the building
was a common one,- and with an ordi-
nary assortment of skeleton keys they
could not fail to open it in a moment.
1t was necessary, however, to ascertain
whereabouts in the station-house the
safe-key vas kept. Agar, therefore,
went to Folkestone, and, under an
assumed name of Adam, took lodgings
at the Pavilion Hotel. While there,
Pierce forwarded him a box containing
$500 in sovereigns ~(advanced by Agar
Tor the purpose). On a Monday he
called at the station, his box appeared
on the way bill, and one Chapman, then
in charge of the office, took the key
from a cupboard, opened the safe, and
gave the sovereigns to Agar.
He now had all the information he
required. He returned to London, and
in company with Pierce went down to
Dover by a train, arriving at midday.
They walked over to Folkestone, reach
ing there before the boat came in.
They walked about the pier till she ar.
when Chapman and his assistant
left the Office for the pier. The con-
clo~o&1. l.I - IL H. 49,.