San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-25


three foot passage intervening, stood ar
adobe house The passage way ran through
from street TO alley.
In the building across the alley there was no
opportunity, Mr.. Axteu thought, for work
| ing a tunnel; therefore he concluded the at
| tack would be from the east. The members
of the firm next door were old citizens, and
not to he suspected. OF the adobe house he
| knew nothing. This, then, was the first
point for examination.
MIR. Axtell put a revolver In his pocket,
and going out the back door of our build
ing walked up the alley to the adobe house,
and entered a rickety door, which he found
unlocked. Here he discovered bare, empty
room, evidently long unoccupied But on the
floor were tracks Of muddy boots.
Upon examination he found that the floor
| ing in the corner of the room was cut
through, and a trap door had been placed
| there At one side of the door an iron staple
| was driven, apparently serving as handle
| for lifting it. He raised the trap cautiously,
| and saw a barrel set into the ground point
| ing in the direction of the bank Then he
! lowered the trap carefully, and as carefully
| left the building.
There was no longer any doubt. The tun-
| mel was there, and the robbers might be
| ready to make their final movement ON the
| bank that very night. 1t was scarcely prob
| able that they worked in the tunnel during
| the day, at least now that they had got so
| near the vault. At night no one would be
in the bank, and they could work without
fear of being heard.
| AS it was probable that a watch was kept
| over our movements, our preparations for
| the capture of the burglars were deferred
| until after dark. During the afternoon we
worked at our desks US usual, and left the
| building for our homes at the usual time,
| having received Instructions from Axtell to
| report again at S O'Clock. We were to come
up the alley which was always very dark,
| and quietly enter the rear room of the bank
Meanwhile the president had seen the sher
| iT, who was TO come to the bank with four
deputies at S'o'clock
When | cautiously stepped through the
back door into the building little before s,
! found these men already there lie other
clerks came in promptly.
Two men were sent to a room III the second
story of building across tie street, where
they could watch the adobe. II they saw any
one enter the passage way, they were to no
tify us by drawing match across the window
sill and Immediately blowing it out. Each OF
the clerks, beginning with the bookkeeper,
was to be stationed for a certain time near
the vault door, to listen for sounds from the
tunnel, and to watch for the signal across
the way. The rest Of the party were to re
main in the back room, ready TO respond tc
any call Thus the night was commenced
The time dragged along slowly enough. We
could only sit in silence. No sound hal
reached Us from the tunnel, and no commune
cation had been made to us by the clerk In the
banking room, up to II o'clock. At that houl
another man was to relieve the first watcher
and the exchange was silently made. The
bookkeeper had heard nothing below, AM
had seen no signal from the opposite side Of
the street.
Again the time dragged. Nothing unusua
was reported by the watcher. One oclocl
came, and it was now nay turn to relieve
him. | took mytplace under the counter
After brief consultation by Mr.. AxteIl ant
the sheriff, it was decided that it was prob
able the robbers were at work in the tunnel
and if they were they would leave it at al
early hour. The sheriff and two of his depu
ties took their station outside, two of then
going into the alley, and the other into tn
street in front, thus guarding both ends
At about o'clock heard distinct noiS
from under the floor near the vault door. |
was steady succession of strokes, as In dig
ging mingled with slight sound of tools
Presently came a noise as though some heav.
body was being lifted or forced. | crept t
the front of the vault, and could catch tn
sounds very distinctly. They seemed to com
from inside. The robbers were either in tn
vault, or just about to enter
Now was the time to act. The other end O
tunnel was guarded, and at this end, @
course, there was no possibility of escape.
stepped back two or three PAGES, drew my re
volver, and fired three shots in quick success
sion through the floor at the point at whic
| Judged the tunnel mustterminate.
There was only slight chance Of hittin
any one in the tunnel, but the robbers i
their fright would undoubtedly rush for tn
other end, to find themselves confronted b
the sheriff and his assistants As those
5 the rear room were hurrying forward,
D called to them to run to the adobe.
We found the sheriff and his deputies o
; the alert, as they had heard my firing an
were waiting developments The men VIII
had been stationed across the way quickl
came over. | as explained briefly as possibl
n what had occurred, and, revolvers in hanC
' we surrounded the adobe.
: After waiting some minutes we became in
a patient, and the Sheriff determined to enter
J Dark lanterns were procured and the sheri
: directed us to follow him closely.
We crowded into the passage way, til
sheriff at the head When the door wa
reached, he flung it open without moment
I hesitation, threw up his right hand wit
: cooked revolver, while two deputies immed
3 ately behind him reached forward with dar
8 | lnntnrnS aud flashed the LIGHT fhrOuUhOnt IL