Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-10-23
Gales and Sketfiiss.
Burglary as a Science.
THE KNIGHTS OF THE JIMMY KEEP PACE
WITH IMPROVEMENTS.

q
music of progress The rascal has adj
vanced his craft and cunning nearly as
| fast as his victim has invented burglary
proof safes and chrome meter locks.
When the combination lock was invent
ed it was thought that burglars could no
more go a-burglarizing. In 1872 or 1873,
however, this fond hope was found falla-
cious, when Louisville bank was nearly
CLEANED out Of cash" This adrolt OPP
Grafton was followed for period OF four
years by number of robberies and at
tempted robberies which have never been
equaled The gentlemen of the jimmy
had the best of the combination lock.
/ Some idea may be had of the serious
character of this fact, when the reader re-
/ fleets that during those years nearly three
millions OF money and bonds were stolen
I from various banking institutions. These
most skillful robberies were the work OF
one gang of men, nor was the proof neces-
/ sary to convict obtained until the famous
| Northampton Bank robbery. in the winter
of 1876, when four masked men took
/ from the vault money and bonds of the
face value of nearly one and one-quarter
million.
Ipropose to tell the story OF two of the
exploits of this gang. which, although not
altogether successful, will show, in part,
the amount of work required to break a
bank. 1t may deter lethargic persons
from adopting the profession, because it
will be found that even burglars have to
work for living. Robert Scott and
Jimmy Dunlap were the brains OF the
combination, the former born in Warsaw,
! H., and the other in Scotland. They were
both ''nervy," muscular and nobby. They
| lived in considerable stvle and Jared
sumptuously every day. Scott owned the
celebrated trotting mare Knox. He, in
company with the blonde mustached Dun
lap. created no end of a sensation one
season at Long Branch, being voted stun
ming good fellows by the men, while they
attracted considerable attention among
the ladies'. Billy Corners, a New York
''crook," was also a member of the syndi-
cate.
The Second National Bank of Elmira was
selected for attack. 1t was decided to
work the bank" through the floor of the
Young Mems Christian Association room,
directly above the vault. But they were
met at the outset by an unexpected diff
cultv-the door of the room was an iron
one, and locked with Hall lock. They
did not understand its mechanism.
One of the party entered the house OF
the secretary of the Young Mems Chris
tan Association while he was asleep and
searched his pockets to steal the keys
long enough to get an impression in wax.
The young man however, had placed the
keys under the carpet in his room, and
the robber was thus foled.
They were now in ''quandary,' and
were almost ready to give up, when Con-
ners heard of lock expert who was
employed by one of the great New York
safe makers. Considerable diplomacy
was employed and some half dozen in
terviews held before the expert consented
to reveal the secrets of the Hall lock for
$50, 900.
Corners came back to Elmira, and
Dunlap by some means managed to have
letter sent the New York safe men
making inquiry in regard to their goods.
/ As was expected. the expert was dispatch
ed to Eln.ira to ''buzi the customer. He
was careful to make known their business.
1t was mentioned in an evening paper.
Scott inserted a ball of paper in the Hall
lock. in consequence of which it was quite
natural that the expert should be summon
ed to repair the same. The expert took
an impression of the key. and that difficult
tv was surmounted. About this time a
certain Mrs. Davis came to Elmira and
rented a small house in the suburbs. She
represented her husband as a commercial
man. who was almost ALWAYS on the road.
1t was queer kind of housekeeping
she kept. There was full set of window
curtains to the house, a few blankets, and
few culinary utensils. But she was
very careful to sweep the pavement every
day, and hang out an occasional washing.
Here the gang spent their time, never go.
/ inc out in the day time and using every
precaution against discovery. The reader
will see at once the value of this cover.
/ These men, it must be remembered, were
suspected, some of them were known
bank breakers. Had their presence been
known in Elmira, dozen detectives
would have been at their heels, and all the
banks would have been warned. By this
/ plan however, they were enabled to defy
pursuit, for had robber been committed
during their stay there, no one knew they
were in the city. They were strangers to
everybody; nobody was familiar with
their faces. In this house they lived near
ly two months. Every night they went
to the Y. M. c. A. room. unlocked the
door and took up the flooring. which they
were also careful to replace before the
morning began to blush over the hills.
There were not more than six
men engaged in this work; one of the
party was obliged to pipe" outside. Ton
after ton of stone was carried upstairs in
baskets and deposited on the roof; they
burrowed through five feet of solid mason
ry, and thence through layer of heavy
iron. A plate of steel, nearly two inches
in thickness, was the last barrier between
them and the coveted wealth. They were
at work upon this. The President of the
bank. Mr.. II. c. Pratt. bad occasion to en-
ter the vault one night, and observed a
quantity of plaster dust upon the floor.
The President suspected, and hunted up
an officer; but the midnight masons took
the hint and escaped.
In order to give the readers of the Call
a clear conception of completed opera
ton. a description of the inside work on
the First National Bank of Pittston is APP
pended. This was a oue-storv building
with tin roof. Every night the boards
were taken up and replaced when they
left. the tin being joined with red putty.
As an instance of the care in the details.
it may be mentioned that violent storm
occurred one day. but the roof did not
leak drop The last layer of brick was