Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-11-22

n uLbpdlCA lIOuu 1AAS 5Ck&, ". IL
says: The history of bank robbing in
the West does not furnish a parallel for
the daring attempt to capture the safe
OF the First National Bank at this place.
The digging of a tunnel sixty feet long,
upon which operations were prosecuted
three months, is a novel feature that is
calculated to. bring tears to the eyes Of
Colonel Frank James. Janes's old
partners, Bob Ford and Dick Liddell,
were evidently at the bottom OF the
affair.
On Monday morning, the bank teller
experienced difficulty in opening the
doors Of the vault, caused by the settling
OF the foundation. The suspicious OF
the employees were aroused, and a
sounding of the floor showed a hollow
below the vault. George J. Dinkel, the
Vice-President, accompanied by the tel
Ter, went into a vacant storeroon, three
doors east Of the bank. The cellar of
this room was explored, and the mouth
OF the tunnel pointing in the direction
OF the bank discovered. The bank that
night placed a strong guard near the
vault. The next morning at ,one o'clock,
sounds Of working were heard beneath
the vault floor, and supposing the rob-
bers were Gagged, the alarm was raised,
n the mouth Of the tunnel was pa
trolled. Intense excitement prevailed
during the night without development,
but non dared to enter the dark tnnnel.
Early in the morning a man darted
from the tunnel, but was shot and killed
by a Mexican. He was identified as
James Pearson, a well-to-do stone
mason who had lived here four years
and had 50, 600 on deposit in the bank.
Pearson helped to build the vault four
ably hired for the present job. The
foorn of the bank and the drug store
adjoining were taken up and the tunnel
explored, but the Others Of the gang
could no be found. The tunnel was
sixty feet long and dug through twelve
feet of concrete masonry. a large
: chamber was dug under the vault and
two jack-screws which had been used in
raising the floor were found, together
with tools, provisions aud waite r.
PROFESSIONALLY there were expert
enced robbers at the bottom of the
affair. Even had the robbers entered
the vault, only an experienced cracks
man could have manipulated the safe,
as it is supplied with all improved time
lock.
The officers are now working on a
strong clue. There is no doubt that a
strong gang Of desperate villains formed
the party, but the alarm was raised too
soon, when only Pearson was in the
hole. Ford and Liddell's saloon is on
the same street ten doors east of the
bank. and the citizens complain of the
hard gang which hangs aroung the dive.
This gang is particularly suspected. and
the vigilantes Of 1879 are now organ
izing to force Ford and Llddell to leave
town.
The bank building is a handsome two
story stone structure, fronting the pub
lie square. at the corner of the main
thoroughfare and a narrow side street
leading to the convent and Jesuit College.
The ground floor is occupied Icy a drug
store and the banking rooms, which
front the side street, while the upper
story is used as %cfliees. Adjoining the
building on the main street is a row OF
one-story houses, that next the drug
store being used as n s%torchouse bv the
commission firm Of Blanchard e CO.
The adjoining one has been vac tnt for
several months. This was the base Of
operations Of the gang. Great precau-
ton was taken IN the construction OF the
bank building. which was erected at a
time when the town was infested by a
gang of dcsperaioes. and during tn,
construction OF the Southern Trinscon.
tinenta, E.l,road. The vault rests on {
.wclve-foot foundation of granite ant
concrete and stands in the centre Of IL,
banking rooms.
1t was evidently the intention Of I'll,
robbers tn 10 their work during Tia,
IN icy" uaNS. Us the DlNk receives
large remittance of currency and cpln 4
about this time each month from tn
east, ard from the Treasurer of til,
Atchison, Topeka an Santa f Raj
road, which pays lis eisployees over ii
entire length OF its line ~ pay rA,ths
The bank is the new Mexican derps.tof
for railroad moneys and takes up Ii.
checks cashed by merchants and haAh
ers in small towns. Ii has a branch i
Albuquerque. the terminus Of the 4,
lantic and Pacific Railroad. whose d
pository It's. and also in +. Paso WHO
acts IN a similar capacity for the VI, xlra
Central, Southern Pacific and Texas an
Prciic Railway. All the business ,
these concerns is done through the ban
here, which fr,qneitly has $50 600
S1Ol 900 ~ "a, .,a5 r,pnar ~, hand l..