Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-11-13
BURRowING FOR 100000.
The Chance Wanderings of Woman
SpoiIs o Big Robbery.

Ii
Spoils Big Robbery.
Fifteen years ago thieves determined
on big bank robbery. The bank selec-
ted was in city in New Jersey. The
emprise was planned and principally
pushed by a very clever pickpocket
called "Mollie Matches" alias John Lar
ney. He was man of enterprise, cour-
age and brains and, what was just as
important 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 practical personal
way. He belonged to the aristocracy of
rogues, was prime pickpocket in fact.
and if some light-fingered NIcAllister
ever writes book he will tell you such
man belongs to roguery's ''4O0.n
Matches did the outside work. He
procured the tools, the section jimmies.
the spreaders, pullers, wedges, mauls,
the suctlon-pumps, putty, powder, fuse,
saws, files, drills and drill-brace as well
as various corrosive acids for eating iron
and Steel These tools are necessarily
hand made, as in 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 cracks
man tools they turn out are light, ele-
giant, accurate and of great power. The
TOOLS for the New Jersey robbery were
made in Cleveland, under the direction
OF q man who was once tho chief police
officer of that city. They cost Matches
81, 500. The bank was selected because
OF vacant dwelling house 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 comes from.
Matches began by bribing the ianitor
OF the bank, who was also its night
watchman. He led the talented robber
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 ad-
vance. One Saturday evening the gang
assembled and the work began. Satur-
day was selected because the work was
gong 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. De
scending to the basement they began,
guided by their map of the bank
All night they moilcd and toiled in
the basement A good deal of work was
before them, as they had to tunnel under
the open yard between the buildings for
space of ten feet. But they kept on,
for they were within fifty feet of $780,
900. At last the earth taken out began
to cucumber 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 sec into the back yard,
but the ''gophers" never thought of that
they were thinking only of the bank and
the $500, 600. Matches was not with
them, or this mistake might have been
averted. He told me this story himself,
and was confident 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 Irish
woman bound for early mass on Sunday
morning. She coveted the editice for
'boordin' house" 1t was locked, so she
went about peering into the windows. |
Looking down through the rear basement
windows she deserted n pile of fresh
earth on the floor. The "gophers" had
been dumping dirt there about thirty
minutes.
CAV Oh TUX it," said the old Irish
woman to herself, cord make the
landlord clane out the basement, shureh
And tbpn cba io,,rpayoJ on - a,,l,,
mass and the consolation of her soul.
The morning and part of Sunday after
noon sped by. No bees ever worked like
the diligent ''gophcrs" nearing the
$200,000 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'-ho y |
determined to take another look at that |
eligible structure that stood next the
bank. She returned. She was astound- |
ed at the growth of the mound of earth
in the rear basement. From Il SMALL in
consequential heap it had grown until
tons OF earth were now cumberng the
floor.
SLOWLY virgin, but the house is
haunted completelym exclaimed the
Mortified lady, and started straight for Il
priest.
The cleric was not superstitious and
smiled at the spook theory. lie started
for the house. On the way he notified
sergeant of police at minor station.
The sergeant knew his business and at
once OWNED the scheme of the thieves
He was also an ambitious officer, and de
termined to make the capture without
first notifying the central office. This
was contrary to police rules and disar
ranged matters nightly. If he had no
titled his superior the thieves would have
got away. The careful Matches had the
chief ''fixed" and fleet messenger was
in constant waiting in sight of any sig
nal which the chief might give, to fly to
the men at work and notify them of dis
covcry. The signal was simple. The
chief was to put up II certain window of
his office. That means "Look outl"
But the sergeant did not notify the
chief. He wanted the credit himself; so
he took squad and captured the indus
trious ''gophers" in their tunnel.
"And they were within two hours of
the stuff too" said Matches sadly, as
he related the matter to me. 1.-TWO
hours more and they'd had that $780,