New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-01
-PF4T CATCH or BURGLARS.

WGOnfcsS ourselves at loss 10 eAPLuih Vii0
astonhing ingenuity of the people OF Mimic
apols Perhaps it is the dry air Or IL may
be Tia the constant strife to excel ST. Faul III
everything sharpenS their wits BuJ certain ~
is tlatnost surprising occurrences are cohunudiJ
being lported from there, and we unhesrtlllhsV
rciet he alleged explanations put IofWaru pS
nrtdn il-natured persons that the people Vi
Minneapolis are simply bigger liars than the
poole Of dher places.
| Appeals that for the last three OF lour
moGls Minneapolis has been infested by
bursarS. Half dozen or more different gangs
hayebeen at work, not to mention large huuioer
of ngle burglars, each carrying on an lhue-
pendnt business. They have committed their
robhries on tie East Side, and on Lowry'S Ill.,
far the nortL, near Single Creek, ana III tle
distnt south by the laughing though dusty laIlS
Of tnnchaha; aid as for the business dIStrlct'
it rs been plundtred right and left, IN season
andout of season. The police have been III thaC
condition in which they so often find themselves
andwhich is always described in the public prints
as 'poweress" They have swung their clubs,
lookd owl-like and evolved clews but they have
captred no burglars. About two weeks ago the
clearinghouse of Thomas u. Weatherlow * 20.
was .obbed for the third time, Mr.. Weatherlow
old but he still takes an active part in business
Naturally he was indignant when he found
tlat his bank had been again robbed. lie de-
terniued to see what he could do at Kidding the
cit Of burglars. few days later items appeared
in the local papers to the effect that the st. An
thny National Bank had been organized, and
wGld soon open for business in Nicollet-ave.
This news was enthusiastically received in burg
Ian circles as all of the old banks had been robbed
so many times that il scarcely paid to touch them
any more Every burglar in town became IN
crested. and even the St. Paul burglars began
u talk about it, notwithstanding the intense
JEALOUSY which of course exists between them.
Vorllmen were seen to be making extensive al
terations in the building in which the bank was
(, be and heavy iron bars were observed on the
windows. but the burglars did not worry much
a)out this At last it was announced that the
bnk would open last Thursday. The competition
in thp burglary business was so brisk that each
burglar knew that unless he was promptly on
hand some one else would get ahead OF HIM
Every burglar in town accordingly decided to
rob the new bank Thursday night. During the
day many Of them spent their time on the SIDE
walk in front of the building looking through
tie windows at the piles Of specie. They blocked
u) the sidewalk annoyed citizens. and frequently
insulted passing policemen.
The first burglars to arrive at the bank that
night were Three-finGered Jimmy and Zenith lily
P,tc. 1t was about 0 o'clock. On irving the
beck door they found TO their surprise and delight
flat it was not locked having evidently been for
gotten. They passed in and began work on The
vault Ten minutes later. Time-loclI Smith and
TIg McCracker arrived. pushed Open the door ant
also began to work on the vault Burglars slngJ
or in pairs continued to drop in until at midnight
no less than forty-tNO. every operator OF any note
in the city. were busily working on the vault
At 3 O'Clock the doors were blown open ant
the cash was taken out and found to amount u
exactly 100000 4 meeting was Immediately
held In The directors room and the swag divided
a simple mathematical calculation by the chairman
Smallpox Hank showing that each was entitled
TO slightly over 81 900 The meeting ADJOURNED
and each started for the back door with hi
money. The leader looked for the knob. bu
saw that there was none. A basty examination
showed that the door. though it appeared to b.
made Of wood. was really of hardened steel anC
that there was no way in which it could b.
opened from the inside They rushed TO the from
door and found that equally impossible Ih
windows as we mentioned before. were heavil!
barred. The forty-two burglars turned pale
The truth was that Mr.. Weatherlow had con
structed bank building on the principle of
wire rat-trap and had bagged every burglar II
town. They fell TO work on the back door wit
their tools. but had made little impression on it Il
| o'clock when the bank officers arrived
| headed by the ingenious old gentleman himself
The police were called and the burglars were sen
to the station. they first being made 10 give II
| their plumber. Their tools. Docketbooks an
other valuabcs were also held for the damag
| done 10 the vault. They will Ike tried next wee
and will probably receive long terms at Still
water
We admit that this is a most extraordinary story
but there seems to be nothing inherently improt
able in it--espccially when we remember that
happened In Minneapolis. Mr.. Weatherlow is
public benefactor II all We have told is true. w
are glad 10 give the account of his simple but e.
fectua plan for capturing burglars publicly in Tn
hone that 1t may be tried In other places.
Certain booths or shops in one Of the downtow