The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1889-07-19

dark lantern down the hole. AS faras
the light reached, nothing could be seen
but, tho black walls Of tho tunnel. Then
the sheriff leaned forward and shouted
down. l3&{g
Como up one at a time and surren.
der, and we won't hurt you'll
There was no answer, we waited q
little, and then shouted again as before,
adding. not altogether politely, sThis is
the last chance you'n get. DON'T make
fools OF yourselvesl'
The echo OF his voice was the only
response. III silence we waited about
the tunnels mouth. but heard not the
slightest Indication that my II was
inside. The sheriff threw down the
door with angry impatienco. What
next? How were we to capture them?
Should we have to starye them out, or
smoke them out?
We divided ourselves Into watches,
two men were to stand guard for one
hour, while tile others retired to the
bank to snatch q little sleep, If possible.
In tic meantime several policemen,
having heard tho firing, had come to
the vicinity Of the adobe, One Of them
stationed himself in the passage, and
two moro took their stands in the street
and alloy ready to spread the alarm If
an escape was attempted. Before leay-
ing the watch to their duty we fastened
the trap door down securely.
From this time until $50 in the
morning nothing occurred. The
watchers werc regularly relieved, and
none Of them had reported amy signs Of
life in the tunnel. But as the bank's
business must go o. without Interrupt
ton, 1t was necessary u open the vault.
There was less chance OF the robbers
trying to escape that way than by the
other end OF the tunnel. When listen
ing to them working l hardly supposed
that they had got into the vault. Be
sides, it was now broad day, the streets
were full Of people, and the bold cracks
man must know that we would be pre-
pared for them.
Half IL dozen men gathered about
The vault door, fully armed and ready
for any emergency. AS l was the one
most familiar with the combinations
on the vault doors, it was my duty to
unlock them. l did not relish the posi-
ton OF first target for ~ bullet from the
inside, but mustered up my courage,
said nothing, and Went to work, lie
outer door l drew open without heSita-
" WIN ~ oS1 III oilS Y ~ ~
feared.
When tho bolts Of the inner door had
been thrown back l found that it
scarcely could be moved, as the stone
under it was raised moro than before.
At length three Of the strongest in the
party managed to force it open, and
the inside of the vault could be seen.
No one was there. But the floor showed
a ciart1inr condition IF a iGlirS .E.
The large stone in front Of the safe
was raised up at one side nearly two
feet. 1t was supported by jack screws
which had been used to force it up. LII
ten minutes more the robbers, il unin-
terrup,e.l, would havo been in the
vault. Unfortunately for them In their
workings Of the previous night they
had acciuently displaced the stone that
ran under the inner door, or their plot
might not have been discovered Till too
late to arrest it.
After Il few minutes of surmise and
speculation, MI. AXtell stepped up to
the hole and shouted down the same
proposition the sheriff had made at the
other end. There wils no response
whatever. He then directed me to
open the safe and proceed with the
business OF the day as usual. Two men
were left on guard III the vault, and the
rest were stationed in the back room.
All who knew Of the situation were
cautioned to keep 1t to themselves, and
very few Of our customers that morn-
ing knew what vas going on under
their feet.
At about 1890 one Of the men in the
ear room came to the door and called
-, NJ. 4 >f,lt A| TN,orn ln lion. ~ uc l,>Il
a proposition As man ever made. One
Of the guards had volunteered to go
down into the tunnel! He was q deputy
sheriff, u MeXictn named jose ChareZ,
who, becoming impatient that the rob.
bers did not show themselves, deter
mined to stir them up III their own
quarters.
lie was Il daring, reckless fellow,
lence. lie lived on excitement, and
OF some horse thief or murderer. lie
knew tue risk of going into the tunnel.
but said he had as good a Glance as the
roDbers-as a matter OF fact, in such
an encounter every advantage was Oh
their sidc-and that was all lie wanted.
The rest Of the men, brave though they
were. shrugged their shoulders, and de-
clined underground warfare.
Charez was to enter the tunnel
through the barrel. After locking the
vault doors again, those of lis who could
leave work went TO the adobe house.
The guards there had nothing to re-
port. We took the fastemlngs off the
trap door and lifted it. The Mexican
threw the light Of a lantern down the
hole, remarked that no one was to be
seen, made ready his revolver, and
quickly dropped through into tile dark
ness.
All of us trembled with excitement,
and listened with painful intensity.
Before we were aware what was taking
place, we saw the Mexican reappear
suddenly at the mouth of the hole, and
heard four shots ring out il quicl. sue
cession. Then the Mexican bounded
up through the smoke, and pointing
wildly to tie floor near tho hole,
shouted: L shot one Of 'em under