The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-05
BURROWING FOR 100000.
The Chance Wanderings of an Astonis h ed
Woman Spoiled a Big Robbery.

The Chance Wanderings or an Aston fsneu
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 principally pushed by a
very clever pickpocket called Mollie
Matches" alias Jack Larney He was man
of enterprise, courage and brains, and, what
was just as importan! in job of this sort.
he had money-lots of it. Matches was not
gopher man himself, and in no wise
worked on banks in a practical, personal
way. He belonged to the aristocracy Of
rogues, was prime plckpocket, in 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. He pro-
cured the tools, the section jimmeS, the
spreaders, pullers. wedges, mauls, suction
pump. putty. powder, fuse, saws, files, drills
and drlll-brace, as we'll as various corrosive
acids for eating iron and steel. These tools
are necessarily handmade, as in the nature
of things they cap only be ordered of trusted
men, They cost atches $500. The bank
was selected because of vacant dwelling
house on one side, while two streets and an
alley were on the other three.
Matches began by bribing the janitor of
the bank. who was also its night Waterman.
He let the talented roUber 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 a
month in advance. On 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 to complete it.
Their purpose was to tunnel into the bank
from the neighboring house. Descending
10 the basement, they began, guided by their
map of the bank.
A ierbt fhay mni1ad and fnila5 in IA
basement. A good deal of work was before
them, as they had to tunnel under the open
yard between the buildings for a space of
ten feet. But they kept on, for they were
within fifty feet of 100000. AT last the
earth taken out began to encum Der that part
of the basement where the ''gophers" were
at work. One was detailed to carry it back
in large basket and dump it in a rear room.
This rear room had half windows. from
which one could see into the back yard but
the "gophers" never thought of that; they
were thinking only of the bank and the
100000. Matches was not with them, or
this mistake might have been averted. He
told me this story himself, and was con-
fident nothing would have gone wrong if his
master-mind were there.
Trouble began in this wise: The card
''For Rent" was still in the front window.
The thieves overlooked that, too 1t caught
the eye of an old woman bound for early
mass on Sunday morning. She coveted the
edifiee for a 'boordin' house" 1t was
locked, so she went about peering into the
windows. Looking down through the rear
basement windows she deserted pile of
fresh earth on the floor. The 'gophers"
had been dumping dirt there about thirty
minutes.
CAV OF tux it," said the old woman to
herself, lord make the landlord clane out
this basement. sure" And then she jour
neved on 10 early mass.
The morning and part Of Sunday after
noon sped by. No bees ever worked like
the dilgent "gophers" nearing the 100000.
The pile of earth in the back basement grew
apace. AT 3 o'clock in the afternoon the
old woman, her mind fraught with "boordin-
house." determined to take another look at
that eligible structure that stood next the
bank. She re urned. She was astounded at
the growth of the mound of earth in the
rear basement From small, inconsequen-
tial heap it had grown until tons Of earth
were now numbering the floor.
THE house is haunted complatelyw ex-
claimed the horritied lady, and started
straight for a clerical friend.
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 minor station. The sergeant
knew his business and at once OWNED the
scheme of the thieves. He was also an am
bilious officer, and determined to make the
capture without notifying the central Office.
This was contrary to police rules and dis
arranged matters nightly. If he had noti-
fed his superior the thieves would lave got
away. The careful Matches had the chief
fixed" and fleet messenger was in con-
slant waiting in sight of any signal which
the chief might give, to fly to the men at
work ard notify them of discovery. The
signal was simple. The chief was to put up
q certain window of his office. That means
Look outI"
But the sergeant did not notify the chief
He wanted the credit himself; SO he took a
squad and captured the industrious
'gophers" in their tunnel.
And they were within TWO hours of the
stuff, too" said Matches, sadly, as he re-
lated the matter to me. 1.-Two hours more
and they'd had that 5000, 000w-Kansas City