Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-06-26
A BANK R0BBER.

BANK R0BBER.
About four years ago, while L was
paving teller of the State National
bank. in fiourishing town in the west,
the events / am about to relate oc-
| CURED. The story is almost exactly
true, beng changed here only in un-
| important events. A partial account
of the affair was published IN local
paper, and some of my readers may
have seen II.
When 1 left Ohio / Grated up my
bicycle, and sent It along by express.
Ii arrived in perfect order. and when
the roads were in good condition l took
many a pleasant spin after banking
hours.
One summer morning, after de-
lightful after-breakfast run In the brac-
ing mountain air, rode up TO the bank,
and having cleaned and oiled my bicy-
Gle, 5. ored it in one of the rooms at the
rear of til. banking office. Then
went leisurely about my work The
first tn NJ TO do was toopen the vault, a
substantial structure OF masonry with
iron doors and bTaclngs, and roor OF
square blocks OF stone.
The vault Was not made specially
strong against burglars. for the cash
was Kept in the safe within The yault
was intended only TO protect the books
and records by fire. Any mere bungler
or a cracksman could have got into ii
Iu AL hour OF two. The safe, however,
was as nearly burglar proof rs the bsst
steel and latest improved locks could
make IL.
The vault had two doors, an inner
anu an outer, which were fastened by
/ .lsfr.
doors was stone fioor, like that inside
OF the vault
swung the outer door open without
difficulty, but when pulled the inner
door, TO my surprise 1T scraped on the
stone fioor. and observation-disclosures was
| required 10 pull il over the obstruction,
and swing it fully open.
What was the cause of this obStruc-
ton? Had the hinges of the door been
worg so as to let 1t down? Had faulty
construction in the door allowed one of
the stones 10 slip gradually out OF place
and interfere 18th the doorT Had the
building been settling and the vault
floors thrown out of levelp Or-and
my heart beat faster at the thought
had some one been tampering with the
hinges?
. In any case there was need of thor
4
= done? The cashier was out of town;
, ! and the president had told me the night
before that he would leave on the morn
ing's train for Enterprise, to. settle up a
/ disputed balance with our correspond
Y ! ent there The absence of both officers
: left me i'll first authority.
But before decided what to do. the
t. safe must be examined to see II 1t had
; been tampered with. L hurriedly en-
e tered the vault, and scanned the exte
5 rior of the safe. No marks of violence
= appeared. The door was protected 10y
a time lock, and by three combination
locks To hold the bolts after the time
}. locks had released them. The clock:
5 had been set for o'clock, and wer'
now run down. The tumblers of th'
, combinations had clicked in quick tlm'
u rs hurriedly whirled the knobs, Bills
y gold and silver lay undisturbed, just a
had left them the evening before.
!, Now what waS to be doneT 1 did
: not ke to resume responsibilities whicl
u properly belonged to some one else
And here was a problem which possibl.
concerned the very life of the bank
Unless / was forced by circumstances
the solving of it WAS not for me-
| gave myself three minutes for ;
decision. The cashier was out of reach
and the president was now on his Wa
&c To the station. If l could reach tn
station before the train left, l coul'
bring him back. The train was due a
| S.55. and the clock now marked S-35
, The station was about four mile
from the town. When the railroad wa
built It was found necessary TO ru
: down the valley; and 50 the town whlc
: lay back on the lakeland was left tina
distance to the west. 1t would De IN
. possible 10 get A hoIse and buggy, an
!, get to the station in the time allotted
: Nv bicyclel 1 could try it, there was
:, chsnce of success
The two other clerks had come Int
into the bank, and were at work 4
al their desks, 1 got out the cash needle
AT the counter, remarked quietly TO th
- u clerks that | MAS going out for fe
minutes, and told the receiving telle
10 attend TO my window meantlm
Then / slipped Oh my riding shoes, II
my machine out of the rear door al
mounted. The road was good, and
%. WAS neryed to great eXertion, and a
though il required twenty minutes OF .
hard work As | ever did, l succeeded.
h1 The dark roof of the low static
~ building came IN sight, just as uD Il
10 valley / saw the-smoke of the approac
n ing train WIS not too Late
=" whisked up TO the station and hurri'
to Nj. Axtell, the president, who, vail
y, In hand, was looking up the track
the train.
L related TO him all there was to T.
,as IN a very few words. lie asked me
ne few questions and then said; of couI
nm l will go back to toAn. You return
"A YOUR bicycle, and Will follow iy t
stage. Go TO the bank and attend
bu iness as usual. When get in
'ed will decide what to do
oil made my return trip with ali pos
ht, bls speed. and took my place at
ige teller window For twenty minu
'rk business quietly proceeded.
as Mr.. AxteIl came leisurely into
snt hank soon alter. He went into
Is vault examined the floor, and he I
am bI, hand along the cracks between
~ stones. A moments INSPECTION satist
Z blm. He caIAe out and told me Il
be vas convinced some one was tunn