Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-06-14


bank employee and the job was ar
ranged anew. At this time tn,
gang consisted of big JIM Brady
Johnny Dobbs-we'veg got Johnny
Jimmy Hope-we've got Jim
my's son John-George Howard
whose proper name was Leslie anC
who was found murdered at Yonk.
ers, and few others. These nego-
tiationS continued for two or three
months and resulted in two Oh
three actual attempts to rob the
bank, each of which was Intellectual
because of the insufficient time al
lowed the burglars by the person
connected with the bank to conn
plete the job. He had not the facil-
tiles to give them more time. Sew
eral meetings followed, there was
dissatisfaction on all sides and the
gang finally broke up. About two
years and a half years ago appeared
Hope, as the spokesman of a newly
formed gang, among whom were
Dobbs, the Big Kid and others,
and had another conversation with
the bank employee. Hope went to
the bank one Sunday, was let in by
this person, was shown the vaults,
made an extended examination of
them and went away. The next
Sunday he again visited the bank
and gave to this person some wax
with which to take an impression
of the lock of the street-door of the
bank. The impression was taken,
given to Hope, and he, after having
key made from it, handed it to
the man to see if it fitted the door.
1t did and was returned to Hope.
When Hope came the third Sunday
he brought with him tools TO exam
inc the vaults. He tampered with
the combination, took the plate off
and put it back. The next Sunday
he returned with Dobbs. Together
they drilled a hole under the COM
bination, threw back the four
tumbler lock, opened the door of
the safe and entered the vault.
There were two steel safes inside
fitted with combination locks and
these both men agreed were more
than they could expect to open in
the time allowed for the job, fifty
minutes. They came out and Hope |
closed the door, and taking up the !
screw tried to lock it again. He |
threw back three of the tumblers, |
but the wire became lost and the |
fourth would not work. They knew |
that there would be commotion |
in the bank in the morning if the |
injury was discovered, and hoping |
to cover up their tracks they filled |
the hole with putty, rubbed dirt
over it to disguise it and went off.
In the morning no one could open
the vault. A bank-lOck expert 1
named johnson was sent for and
the door was taken from its hinges
and carried to the shop, where the
hole filed with putty was discov-
cred. Then it became a question
whether the hole had been drilled
or not. and no one could decide
that. While the door of the vault
was being taken off and carried out
the day after the tampeTing 'the
Big Kid came into the bank, got
300 bill changed, and stood looking
at the proceedings for almost an
hour.
"For five or six months after this
the bank authorities, who had be-
come suspicious, were very vigilant,
and the thieves were pretty well
At the end of eight
however, George Mason
another professional, met the bank
in saloon on Third
avenue, between Tenth and Elev-
enth streets. There were present
also Billy Porter (whO / see has
just escaped from the Brooklyn
Billy Kelly and
others / have forgotten. Mason
was considered an excellent man
for the job. He talked with the
party and arranged to go to the
bank night or two after and look
at the vault. On that particular
evening, somewhere between s and
D o'clock, / happened to pass
Rleeeker street and saw
Mason standing on the bank corner.
| asked him what he was doing
there and he said, Pm waiting for
my girl / was not satisfied with
the answer and arrested him, but
after OBTAINING him awhile in the
5tation-hOuse and questioning him
closely was forced to let him go.
Before anything came of his nego-
tiations Mason was sent up for a
year for burglary on Eighth av-
enue. Shortly after this Hope got
1ut of prison in Bangor, Me-, and
came to New York. He went to {
his old acquaintance in the bank !
Every two or three
nights meetings were held in Union
square. The person connected !
with the bank was got to tell what
ne knew of its interior and Hope
Investigated everything to see if .
he statements were true. These !
were continued until the !
night before the robbery
If Sunday, October q last. 1t was /,
lrranged that on that Saturday !
light this man was to have charge {
If the bank, and part of the gang !
we're to meet in Bleecker street at 8
,'clock, but the bank employee !
,ould not get charge of the bank !
through force of circumstances. !
Hope and three or four others met
It Bleecker and Mulberry streets !
md insisted, nevertheless, on rob y
,ing the bank. But you can't, q
aid the bank employee, for / am '
lot On. duty, and there is a man z
here who would not let you do it q
or all the world They then ar Y
anged that the job must be done 7
fter that man left in the morning, Il
md done it was, as you know, in q
,ery neat and skilful manner. y
THAT'S the history of the different !
ttempts, and 1 must add here that ?
Jimmy Hope, three Sundays be- r
ore the robbery, entered the bank a
While this man was on duty, exam y
ned the safe very thoroughly, and I
topping on a Broadway car with y
nan he met outside rode up town." U
Capt. Byrnes here lighted fresh .
igar and in few seconds began y
gain. ~
''Now," he said, tyou've got the :,
urglary part, Pm going to tell you 4
about the prisoners. As !,
ou know, the burglars made y y
cry clean JOB Of 1t and got away Z
With their booty, leaving nothing, i
bsOlutely nothing by which they E,
ould be identified, and not a clue :,
Or the police. Well, after two or 2
hree days of investigation, / be- 4
anne satisfied that Jimmy Hope =
nd several others had had a hand =
n the iob-men who / knew with :
uch a leader, and even without 3
i'm, could have successfully dope +.
1b of this kind. Well, that cOncIu- a.
ion of mine resulted in an extended Il
earch up town in this city, in the -