Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1890-02-01
A DETECTIVES STORY.
HIS EXPERIENCES iN=@afcHlNo A
GANG or EXPERT cRACksMEN.
The Ocean Bank Robbery-An English
mans Way of Cracking n safe--Thwarting
an Attempt to Rob the Illinois State
Treasury-A Dangerous Resemblance.

mans Way of Cracking safe-ThwartIng
an Attempt to Rob the Illinois State
Treasury-A Dangerous Resemblance.
Some years ago, at the time that Capt
Jordan was chief of police of New York city,
there occurred one of the most daring and
successful robberies ever known. 1t was ac-
under the leadership Of a notori-
GUS burglar, who bore the cognomen 80. X"
He had recently committed several robberies
In various places, and had managed to get
into his possession considerable sum of
money. Arriving in New York, he deter
mined to establish brokerage business, and
for that purpose secured rooms in the same
block with the Ocean bank, the officers of
which allowed him to keep his money and
bonds in the bank safe. In this way he OBJ
tanned information which he determined to
decided to rob the bank.
He was acquainted with an expert burglar,
then in England, and in order to divert sus-
picion from himself, he sent for him, and the
expert came over, bringing with him two
young men, his nephews. As soon as they ar
rived in New York, they set a stool pigeon at
work 10 find out the best way for carrying
out the scheme of robbing the bank. At tho
same time party OF Illinois burglars had a
stool pigeon ut work for the same purpose.
The two met and discovered each others
plans. After some conversation it was deemed
best to report to headquarters, and this was
done; the parties met and decided to detail
three men from each party to perform the
work of robbing the bank. In order to get
the janitor out of the way they paid him
$500, and then had no trouble in committing
the robbery. The robbers secured over $780,
900 in money, besides a large amount in
United States bonds.
When the two gangs got together in coun-
Gil, Andy Mckay, of Springfield, one of the
most notorious burglars, and great talker,
proceeded to explain to the old Englishman
the manner in which he opened the Lille
safe. He said: 1.-THE center pin is loose. |
pull it out about half inch; then strike it
hard with sledge hammer; it breaks like
glass; then | take a prick-punch that will not
get fast in the hole; one man holds the prick
punch, and another strikes it hard with the
hammer and drives it through the lock; an
other hard blow causes it to spring the strap
that holds the lock on; then | take tho
crooked tunnel. poor in the powder, insert
the fuse, set it with a match and get out of
the way" The old Englishnan replied in a
peculiar drawing way: THAT would make
noise, wouldn't itg' "Yes,n said Mckay,
'but we throw a wet blanket over it, and
that prevents the noisen The Englishman
replied: 81 don't make any noise | don't
make any more noise than a mouse would
eating a cracker"
The way the old Englishman robbed a safe
was this: He used diamond drill, with
which he bored on one side of the center pin,
and inserted wire in the hole. Then all he
had to do was to turn the knob once around
Every time it struck the wire it would raise
the lug out of the slot, and then the door was
opened
The Illinois burglars persuaded the English
burglars to come to Chicago The old gen.
tleman and one of his nephews put up at tho
Sherman House for six weeks; the others
took rooms at the Revere house. Ny stool
pigeon gave me 'spot" on the old burglar
at once, and went with me to the hotel as
many as ten or fifteen times to get ''spot on
the other young man; but | never could sue
the stats AfpPeasa t:y safe at Springfield, and
y
and on a private bank at st. Paul.
| wrote letter to the Hon. George FL.
Harlow, secretary of state, at Springfield,
telling him the robbers Of the Ocean bank in
New York were in Chicago, and were pre-
pairing to rob the state treasurer's safe at the
state capital, but would probably waituntil the
county treasurers had made their annual re-
turns. After that ''loolz out for quail tracks. y
About three weeks later | received Il letter
from Gen. Bates, treasurer Of Illinois, asking
me to come to Springfield by the first train.
started for the Sherman house. and, finding
my mon gone took the late train, reaching
Springfield at daylight the next morning.
After breakfast | called upon Mr. Harlow,
who went at once and gave me an introduc-
ton to Gen. Bates The general told me his
suspicious, and | went out to look for my
man. Within half an hour | ran across the
young man, and followed him all day.
He would occasionally step into a confec-
TONER'S and buy candy and peanuts, and
then he would visit a saloon and purchase G
! bottle of pop. Finally he went down by tho
| capitol, where the streets were ffot built III
much and | was obliged to follow IN {
parallel street, and get a look at him occa
| tered buildings and trees At length | re
traced my steps to the new capitol building
near which hid myself in thick cluster Of
bushes, staying there until after shutdown
when he came back, and l followed him t
the Leland house. remained the rest of thu
week, but saw nothing further of him. Now
see how | got beat He had his brother
whom had never seen, following me all day
They had a team and a wagon with doubl
box Their plan was to put the money the,
got in the lower box and ill the upper ont
with bags of oats. They then could trave
through the country without exciting sus
picion.
After they were frustrated at Springfield
they went to st. Paul, MINI. After | 60
back to Chicago l was one day walking Oh
the sidewalk, when | saw man coming to
ward me whom / took to be the one hat
Swallowed all day at Springfield. As he cam
up | saw it was not the one / thought, but
man by the name of Reed, whom l kne1
very we'll had hired him at an early da,
to teach the school in Blackberry Center H
married Peter Johnson's daughter, and re
moved to ST. Paul, Mimi, where he engages
in the banking business. As he came up t
me said to him: "Frend Reed, you fright
ened me- When saw you coming though
you were one of the Ocean bank robbers.
| told him that party had a "sten on tn
state trcasurer's office of Minnesota, and ais
q private bank at st. Paul Now you hay
frightened me, he replied. ''Our folks toll
| ,p 1DYsl,i T,er / mo "a "a