Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-08-06

The Peculiar gannrP In Which Bar.
glsr Cracked Rank.


the town. There wasn't no other officer
but the cashier, and they had boy who
used 20 sweep ont and ran errands.
The bank WAS on the main street.
pretty well up one end Of i.-nics snug
place-0o the corner OF q cross streee
with nothing very near it. We took our
observations and found there wasn't NO
trouble at all about it. There vas an old
Waterman that walked up and down the
street nights, when he didn't fall asleep
and forget It. The vault had two doors;
the outside one was chilled iron and had
bad q three -whef led combination ieck;
the inner wasn't no door at all; you
could kick il open. It didn't pretend 70
be nothing bat fire proof, and it WASH t
even that. The first thing We done, of
course, was to fit key to the outside
door. As the lock ON the outside door
was an old-fashioEed Bicon lock, any
eentlemaA of my profession who chan
Cos to read this article, will know inst
how easy that job was, and how we
done il. may say here that the gentle
,oer in my line Of business, hav.n at
times a great dei.l Of leisure on their
hands, do considerable reading. and are
peculiar fond Of neat bit Of writing. In
tHOks IA ou0 way Va 0sux0t \ UAv0
found among 'en-bOwever, this being
depression, l drop It, and go on with the
main job again.
This was our plsu:-After tho key was
fitted, was to 20 into the bank, and
Jim--that wasn't his name. of course,
bat let 1t pass-was to keep watch on the
outside. Whom any one passed he WAS
t. tip mo whistle, and then doused
the giim and lay low; after they got by,
goes on again. Simple and easy you
see. Well, the night as We selected, the
President happened to be out Of town;
gone down to the city, az he often did. l
got inside all right, with slide lantern,
a breakfast drill, q steel jimmy, bunch
Of skeleton keys, and a green baize bag.
~ stow away the swa2. fixed my light
and rugged my breastdrill. and got to
work on tho do just over the lock.
Probably great many Of your readers
are not SO we'll posted AS me about bank
locks, and / may say for them that a
three-wheeled combination lock has
three wheels in it, and slot in each
wheel. In order to unlock the door. you
have to get the three slots opposite to
each other a: the top Of the lock. OF
course. if you know the number the
lock is set on, you can do this; bat if you
don't you have to depend on your ings-
nuity. There is in each Of these wheels
a small hole, through which you put a
wire through the back of the lock whom
you change tthe combination. Now, if
you can bore hole through the door,
and pick up those wheels by running a
wire through those holes. why you can
open the door. l hope I make myself
clear. was boring that hole. The door
was chilled irJu; about the neatest stuff
I ever worked Oh. | went on steady
enough: only stopped when Jim-whioh,
as said, wasn't his real name-whistled
outside. and the watchman toddled by.
By and by, when I'd got pretty near
tn oueh, / heard Jim, SO to speak, whis
tie again. l stopped, and pretty sOOn /
heard footsteps outside, and I'm bl0wed
if they didn't come right up the bank
steps, and heard q key in the lock. l
was SO dumbfounded when heard that,
that you could have slipped the brace
let's right on mo. l picked up my lantern
and I'll be hanged if 1 didn't let the
slide slip DOWN and throw the light right
onto the door. and there was the Presi-
dent. Instead of calling for help, ~ I
thought he would, he took step inside
ths door and shaded his eyes with his
hand and looked at me. l knowed
ought to knock him down and Ont out,
but best if l could, was that surpris-
ed.
who are your" says he.
"Who are yOn?" says l, thinking that
Was an innocent remark, rs hs commen-
cod it, and a-trying all the time to col
lect myself.
"rm the Pro sident of the bank?" says
he. kinder short; something's the mat
tor with the lock?"
by George. The idsa came to me
then.
Yes. sir" says 1. touching my cap;
mfr. Jennings. he te'egraphed to me this
morning as the lock was out Of order
and he couldn't get in. and 50 Pm come
ON to open il for him"
II told Jennings = week ago" says he,
shat be ought to get that lock tixed
Where is he?"
'Hs's been a writing letters, and he's
gone up to his house to get another let
ter he wanted for to answer"
well, why don't you go right orr
says hc.
''rvs got almost through" saws I;
"and I didn't want to finish up and open
the vault till there was somebody of the
hank here"
CHATS very creditabls to you," saws
he; "a very proper sentiment. my man.
You can't" he goes on, coming round
by the door, "be too particular about
avoiding the very suspicion Of evil in
amy one."
"No, sir" says I, kinder modest like.
"What do yOu suppose is tho matter
with the lock?" says he.
II don't rightly know, yet." says I;
"but rather think it's little worn on
account Of not being oiled enough. These
ere looks ought 70 be oiled about once a
year"
"well." lie says, lyon might "A we'll
60 right on now. I'm here; will stay till
Jennings comes. Can't help you7
Hold your lantern or something Of that
sorts"
The thought came to mo like a fash,
and turned around and Says
"How do know you're the President.
amt ever seen you afOrc, and you may
DO s.tryin2 70 crack this bank. for Ill
that know"
THAT'S very proper inquiry. my
man" says he. ''and shows . most no
markabls degree OF discretion. confess
l should not have thought Of the posi-
tion in which was plninQ ron. How
svsr. can essily convince you that il ID
all right. do you know what tho Pres
ident's name is?"
mo, DON'T" ssya I, sorter curly.
"WelI, you'll find il ont on that BILL -
said he, taking bill out OF his pocket;
land you see tho same name ON thess
letters" and he took some letters from
hiA coat.
l suppose ] ought to have gone right
on, then, but Wa beginnings feel IN
terested in making him prUve Who hs
was. and % / says:
"You might have got them letters 10
pat up . job on me"
you're . very honest man." say1 y,
zone among q thousand. Don't think
Tn at all offended at yuuR persistence.
No, my good fellow, like ik" and be
laid his hand on my shoulder. Nov.
here" says he, taking bundle ont Of
his pocket, lis package Of $1,000 In
bonds. A burglar wouldn't DO apt "a
carry those around with him, would bel
bought thsm in the city yesterday and
stopped here tonight on my vAy home
20 place them in tho vault, and may
add, shat your simple and manly homes
~ has % touobed mo. that i would VII