The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-12-25
RuRRoWINc FOR $500, 900.
The Wanderings of an Astonisied Woman
Spoiled Big Robbery.


Fifteen years ago thieves determined
on a big bank robbery. The bank
selected was in city in New Jersey.
The enterprise was planned and princi-
pally pushed by clever pickpocket
called .'Molie Matches" alias John
Larnev He was man of enterprise.
courage aud brains. and, what was just
as important III a job of this sort, lie
had money-lots of it. Matches was
not gopher man" himself. and in
no wise worked on banks in practical,
personal way. He belonged tc the
aristocracy of rogues, was prime
pickpocket. IL fact. and if some light.
fingered McAllister ever writes book
he will tell you such man belongs to
roguery's 400"
Matches did the outside work. de
procured the tools, the section JIM
mics. the spreaders, pullers. wedges,
mauls. suction-pump. putty. powder,
fuse, saws, files. drills and drill-brace,
as we'll as various corrosive acids for
eating iron and steel. These tools are
necessarily handmade, as i'll the
nature of things they can only be
ordered of trusted men. The men who
make them are among the best artisans
in the world and the craftsman tools
they turn out are light, elegant, ac-
curate and of great power. The tools
for the New Jersey robbery were made
in Cleveland, under the direction of a
man who was once the chief police
officer of that city. They cost Matches
| ST., 800. The bank was selected be-
cause of vacant Westinghouse on
one side, while two streets and an alley
were on the other three.
1t is well TO say right here that
banks, and especially those weak banks
in small country towns which are the
''gophers'' pride and joy, had better
know who has possession next door
| That is where danger generally come;
| from.
Matches began by bribing the janitol
| of the bank, who was also its night
watchmau He let the talented robbel
! inside one night and an accurate plan
of the bank with its money vaults was
made. Then Matches rented the house
next door, paying for month in adj
vance. One Saturday evening The
gang assembled and the work began
| Saturday was selected because the
work was going to take time and they
would need until Monday morning Il
complete it. Their purpose was t
tunnel into the bank from the neigh
| boring house. Descending to the base
ment they began, guided by their MAJ
of the bank.
All night they moiled and toiled il
the basement. A good deal of worl
was before them, us they had to tun
mel under the open yard between the
buildings for Il space of ten feet. Blu
J they kept on, for they were within fifty
feet of 5000, 900. At last the eartl
taken out began to cucumber that par
of the basement where the 'gophers'
were at work. One was detailed t.
carry it back in n large basket anC
dump it in a rear room. This rea
| room had half-windows from which
Que could see into the back yard, bu
the "gophers" never thought of that
they were thinking only Of the banl
and the 5000, 600. Matches was no
with them, or this mistake might hav,
been ayerted. He told me this stor,
himself, and was confident nothin!
would have gone wrong ii his master
mind were there.
Trouble began in this wise. Thu
card For Rent was still in the from
window. The thieves overlooked that
too. 1t caught the eye of an old Irisl
woman bound for early mass on Sun
day morning. She coveted the edific
for 'boordin'- house" 1t was locked
so she went about peering into tht
windows and deserted a pile of fresl
earth on the floor The "oophers'
had been dumping dirt there abou
thirty minutes.
''Av Oh tux it," said the old Irisl
woman to herself ord make TIN
f! landlord clane out the basement, shure.
And then she journeyed on to earl,
mass and the consolation of her soul
The morning and part of Sunda,
afternoon sped by. No bees evel
worked like the diligent 'gophers'
nearing the 5000 900. The pile Of
earth in the back basement grew
apace. At o'clock in the Afternoon
the old Irish woman. her mind fraught
with 'boordin'- house" determined to
take another look at the eligible
structure that stood next the bank. She
was astounded at the growth of the
mound of earth in the rear basement
From a small, inconsequential heap it
had grown until tons of earth were
now numbering the floor.
"Howly virgin. but the house i.
haunted complately!' exclaimed the
Mortified lady, and started straight fol
a priest.
The cleric was not Superstitious and
smiled at the spook theory. He started
for the house. On the way he notified
sergeant of police at a minol
station. The sergeant knew his bust
ness and at once OWNED the scheme o.
the thieves He was also an ambition.
officer, and determined to make the
capture without first notifying the cen
trail office. This was contrary to police
rules and disarranged matters might.
lily. If he had notified his superior the
| thieves would have got away. The
careful Matches had the chief fixed
and fleet messenger was in constan
waiting in sight of an. signal which
the chief might give, to fly TO the mel
at work and notify them of discovery
The signal was simple. The chief wa
TO put up certain window of hi
Office. That means Look out!'
But the sergeant did not notify the
clIief. He wanted the credit himself
so he took a squad and captured thu
Industrious "gophers'' in their tunnel
And they were within two hours o
the stuff, too" said Matches, sadly, Il
he related the matter TO me. "Tw,
hours more and they'd had that 5000.
| 000in--huuS,;s CITY Star
Families i'm HeIigoland.
| Tho woman of HaiirCl,nI ra ropar