Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-31
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A DETECTIVES STORY.
HIS EXPERIENCES IN WATCHING A
GANG OF EXPECT CRACKSMSN.


mans Way of Cracking ssfe-ThWarting
an Attempt TO Rob the Illinois State
Treasury-A Dangerous Remembrance.
Some years ago, at the time that Capt.
Jordan was chief Of police OF New DIRK CITY,
there occurred one of the most DARING and
successful robberies ever known. II was &C
compIished under the leadership OF rotor
Gus burglar, who bore the cog2onen ''t' *. "
He had recently committed several rooheries
In various places, and had raEia5ed to get
into his possession considerable sum OF
money. Arriving ia New York, he deter
mined to establish a 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 ne OBJ
tanned information which he determined to
take advantage of for his own benefit He
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 nm two
Young men, his nephews As soon as they ar
rived in New York, they set stool pigeon at
work 10 find out the best way for carrying
same time party OF Illinois burglars had
stool pigeon at work for the same purpose.
The two met and discovered each others
plans After some conversation 1t was deemed
best TO report 10 headquarters, and this was
done: the pa.ties met and decided TO detail
three men from each party to perform the
work of robbing the bank. In order TO get
the ianitor out of the way they paid him
the robbery Tie robbers secured over 500
600 in money, besides 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 EnglIshn1an
the manner in which he opened the Lille
safe. He said: 1.-The center pin is loose. 1
pull it out about a half inch; then strike it
hard with siedge hammer; it breaks like
glass; then / take prick-punch that will not
get fest in the hole; one man holds the prick
punch and another strikes it hard with the
hammer and drives it through the look; all
other hard blow causes it TO spring the strap
that holds the lock on; then L take the
crooked tunnel, poor in the powder, insert
the fuse, set it with match and get ont of
the way" The old Englishman replied in
peculiar drawing way: That would make
a noise, wouldn't itr 'Yes,n said Mckay,
Slut we throw wet blanket over it, and
that prevents the noise The Euglishman
replied: az don't make any noise; | don't
make any more noise than mouse would
eating a cracker"
The way the old Englisllman robbed safe
WIS this: lie Used diamond drill, with
which he bored On one side of the center pin,
ard inserted a wire in the hole. Then all ne
had to do was to turn the KNOB once around.
Every time it struck the wire it would raise
the lug cut of the slot, and then the door was
opened.
The Illinois burglars persuaded the English
burglars to come to Chicago. The old gen.
tlenan and one of his nephews put up at the
Sherman House for six weeks; the others
took rooms at the Revere house. Ny stool
pigeon gave lie 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 suc-
coed in seeing him. They got up ''site7 on
the state treasury safe at Springfield, and
also on the state treasury safe of Minnesota,
and on private bank at st. Paul.
/ wrote a letter TO the lion. George II.
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 treaSurers safe at the
state capital, but would probably waituntil the
<county treasurers had made their annual re-
burns. After that ''lool; ont for quail tracks. "
About three weeks later | received a letter
from Gen. Bates, treasurer of Illinois, asking
me to come to Springfield by the first train.
81 arted for the Sherman house, and, finding
my nfen gone, took the late train, reaching
Springfield at daylight the next morning.
Af5er breakfast | called upon Mr.. Harlow,
who went at once and gave NE an introduce
ton to Gen. Bates. The general told me his
suspicious, and | Went out to hook for my
nan. Within half an hour | ran across the
young man, and followed him all day.
iie would occasionally step into confec-
ticl1er's and buy candy and peanuts, and
then he would visit a saloon and purchase
bottle Of pop Finally he went down by tho
capitol, where the streets were not built up
much, and L was obliged TO follow Oh a
pa allel street, and get a look at HIM occa-
sionally through an opening among the scat
tered buildings and trees. At length re-
traced my stops to the new capitol building.
near which hid myself in thick cluster Of
bpsaes, staying there until after shutdown,
when he came back, and | followed MIN to
the Leland house I remained the rest of the
week, but saw nothing further of him Now,
see how ] got beat. lie had his brother,
whom l had never seen, following me all day.
Thsy had a team and q wagon with double
box. Their plan was TO put the money thew
go5 in the lower box and fill the upper one
with bags of oats. They then could travel
through the country without exciting sus-
picion-
After they were frustrated at Springfield
they went 10 ST. Paul, Minn. After cot
back to Chicago was one day walking on
the sidewalk, when | saw man coming to-
ward me whom took TO be the one had
Swallowed al day at Springfield As he came
up saw it was not the one thought, but q
man by the naIne Of Reed, whom | knew
very well ! had hired him at an early Gay
TO teach the school in Blackberry Center He
married Peter JohRson's daughter, and re-
moved TO st. Paul, Kim, where he engaged
in the banking business. As he Came un TO
me said 10 him: Friend Reed, you fright
ened me. When I saw you coming thought
yea Were one OF the Ocean bank robbar,n
told HIM that party HAD a site" on the
state trcasurer's Office Of Minnesota. and also
private bank at St. P&ui. Now YOU have
frightened me, = he replied '.Our folks told
mo the morning came awev that a man
cs ne into the Office whom they at first
thought was me. BE WAS there twenty min
usSsS before they sSw their MISTAKE" Mr. Reed
tl.sn Went - the telegraph oIice and wired
tie bank 10 look out for toe man they mis-
took for him, for he was one of the Ocean
bank robbers | wrote the sheriff at St
f.tui that the robbers OF the Ocean bank had