Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-23
THE BANKER.S MISTAKE.

My profession isn't popular one IN TACT,
there is considerable prejudice against it.
AS for myself, I don't think it's much worse
than good many others. However, that
has nothing to with my story.
Some years ago me and the gentleman
who was then connected with me in bust
ness-he's met with reverses since then,
and at present isn't able to 60 out-was
looking around for a job, being at that time
rather hard up, as you might say.
We struck small country town. amt
going to give it away by telling where it
was, or what the name of it was. There
was one bank there. The president was
rich and old owned the mills, owned the
bank, owned most Of the town. There
wasn't another officer but the cashier, and
they had boy who used to sweep out
and run errandS.
The bank was in the main street, pretty
we'll up one end of it-a nice snug place at
the corner, with nothing very near it. We
took our observations, and found out there
wasn't no trouble at all aboutit
There was an old watchman that walked
up and down the street at nights, when he
didn't fall asleep and forget it. The vault
had two doors; the outside one was chilled
iron, and had three-Wheel combination
lock the inner door was no door at all
you could pick it open. 1t didn't pretend
to be nothing but fre-proof and it wasn't
even that.
The first thing we did, of course, was to
fit key to the outside door.
This was our place. After the key was
fitted, was to 60 into the bank, and Jim
that wasn't his name, Of course, but let it
pass-was to keep watch on the outside.
When anyone passed he was to tip me Il
whistle, and then 1 was to douse the glim
and lay low. After they got by 1 goes on
again. Simple and easy you see.
Well, the night we selected the president
happened to be out of town; gone down
to the city, as he often did. got inside all
right with a slide lantern, breast-drill, a
steel jimmy, bunch of skeleton keys, and
green baize bag to stay the swag. fixed
my light, and rugged my breast-drill, and
got to work on the door right over the lock.
Probably great many of your readers
are not so we'll posted as me about bank
locks, and 1 may say for them that a three
wheel combination lock has the three wheel.
In order to unlock the door, you have to get
the three slots opposite to each other at the
top of the lock.
OF course, if you know the number the
lock is set on you can do this, but if you
don't, YOU have to depend on your ingenui-
tv. There is in each of these wheels small
hole, through which you puta wire through
the back of the lock when you change the
combination. Now, if you can bore hole
through the door, and pick up those wheels
by running wire through those holes, why
YOU can open the door. hope may make
myself clear.
I was boring that hole. The door was
chilled iron, about the neatest stuff ever
worked on. l went on steady enough, only
stopped when Jim-which, as said wasn't
his real name-whistled outside, and the
watchman toddled by.
By-and-by, when I'd got pretty nearly
through, heard jim, so to speak, whistle
again.
stopped, and pretty soon heard footsteps
outside, and Pm blamed if they didn't come
right up the bank steps, and heard key
work in the lock.
Twas so dumbfounded when heard that,
that you could have slipped the bracelets
right on me. Ipicked up my lantern, and
I'll be hanged if l didn't let the slide slip
down and throw the light right on to the
door, and there was the president.
Instead of calling for help, as I thought