Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-03
A VOLUNTARY CONVICT

II IUuUI I'LL OOu 1O4'
1t was the invariable custom of
the night watchman of the Mer'
chants aud Mechanics Bank at
Clio, to throw open the front door
and raise the curtains at y o'clock
each morning, writes a clever de-
tective. By that time all the
stores we're open and the streets
were full of people. From z and
8 he swept and busted, and the
bells had scarcely struck the later
hour when the bank officials began
to arrive. Then the watchman
went home, the doors closed, and
at 9 the bank was ready for busi'
ness.
One September morning the
cashier, teller, and two Of the
clerks arrived to find the heavy
front doors still closed. Peter, the
watchman, had been in service
nine years, and this was the 6rst
time he had oversight bis hour
The grocer on one side and the
shoe man on the other had pound.
ed on the bank doors at quarter
to S, and not receiving any re-
sponse, we're certain that some
thing out of the way had occurred.
There we're nine Of US who entered
the bank as the cashier unlocked
the doors. The curtains had not
yet been raised, when he knew
that robbery and murder bad
taken place. When we got the full
light we saw Peter lying on his
back on the floor outside of the
railing. He was fully dressed, and
had been struck on the back of the
head; and the blow had crushed in
the skull. The body was cold,
showing that death had occurred
some hours before.
Further investigation proved
that the door of the vault had been
drilled and blown open, and that
the bank had been robbed of every
dollar OF its cash on hand. Taking
the loss of bonds, stocks and cash,
the aggregate was about $4,000,
half of which fell upon the bank.
Burglars tools, fuse, a flask of
powder, and other articles were
lying about, and on a desk we
found the loaded club which had |
dealt Peter his death blow. When |
we came to investigate as to how
the robbers had effected an en-
trance everybody was at sea. Tney
could only have come and gone
by the front door. None OF the !
windows had been raised, the back |
door was heavily barred, and the
door leading to the cellar had not
been taUpered with.
Peter had no key to the lock of
the front door. He could open it
from the inside, but not from the
other. The cashier and bookkeep.
er, both old and trusted men and
stockholders, alone had keys. BE
must, we concluded, have admitted
the robbers to the bank, but the
fact of his having been murdered
was proof of his integrity. Had
he put up job with them, they
would not have finished him off,
He was sharp, shrewd tellow,and
what excuse they could have urged
to gain admission WAS beyond our
figuring. Detectives we're put to
work on the case, bat not the
slightest clue could they get for
weeks. II seemed as If the rob-
bers had taken wings as they left
the bank. Three months later two
men, who we're suspected Of being
"good fellows we're arrested at
a point two hundred miles away,
and in al other State, for stealing
a horse and buggy. In following
up this case to conviction it was
proved that they had arranged to
do a bank In a country town, and
that the rig had been stolen as a
part of the program. One of the
men was recognized as a person
seen in our town about the time OF
our robbery, aud the bank people
became satisfied that both Of them
bad a hand IN it. They had no
proofs, and the matter would have
been permitted to drop bat for me.
The loss of cash was only about
gil, 900. About $4,000 in securi-
ties belonged to depOsitors, and
the balance was the loss Of the
bank. None of the securities had
been negotiated thus tar, and 1t
was my theory that the robbers
had them securely hidden away
somewhere. While ] could not be
positive that either of the men ar
rested for stealing the horse and
buggy was the party wanted for
our job, two Of our citizens were 30
positive in identifying one Of them
that was ready to chance it.
The bank had offered a big re-
ward for the arrest Of the robbers
and murderers, and after due de-