The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-02-07
euRRowlNc FOR 100000.
The WandsrIngs OF an Astonishsd Wsmas
Spoiled BiK Robbery.

selected was IN city IN New Jersey.
The enterprise was planned aud princi-
pally pushed by a clever pickpocket
called ''Mollie Matches" alias John
Larncy. lie was a man OF enterprise.
courage and brains and, what was just
as important la job Of this sort. he
had money--lots Of 1t. Matches was
not gopher man" himself. aud in
no wise worked on banks in practical.
personal way. lie belonged 10 the
aristocracy OF rogues. was prime
pickpocket. In fact, and If some light
fingered McAllister ever writes IA book
he will tell You such a man belongs TO
roguerys 400
Matches did the outside work. He
procured the tools. the section JIM
mics. the spreaders. pullcrs. wedges.
mauls. suction-pump. putty. powder.
fuse. saws. Tiles. drills and drill-brace.
as well as various corrosive acids for
eating iron and steel. These tools are
necessarily handmade, 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 cracksman 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
81, 800. The bank was selected be-
cause of a vacant dwelling-house on
one side, while two streets and an alley
were on the other three.
Ii is we'll to say right here that
banks. and especially those weak banks
in small country towns which are the
''gophersH pride and JOY, had better
know who has possession next door.
That is where danger generally comes
from.
Matches began by bribing the janitor
of the bank. who was also It's night
Waterman. He let 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 month in adj
vance. One Saturday evening the
gang assembled and the work began.
Saturday was selected because the
work was going 10 take time and they
would need until Monday morning TO
complete il. Their purpose was TO
tunnel into the bank from the neigh
boring house. Descending 10 the base
mcnt 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 tun-
mel under the open yard between the
buildings for "A space OF ten feet. But
they kept on. for they were within fifty
feet of 5000. 600. At last the earth
taken out began TO cucumber that part
OF the basement where the "gophersn
were at work. One was detailed TO
carry it back IN large basket and
dump IL in rear room. This rear
room had half-windows from which
Que 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 aud was confident nothing
would have gone wrong il 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 Sun
day morning. She coveted the edifice
for "boordin' -housc.n II was locked,
SO she went about peering into the
windows and deserted pile of fresh
earth on the floor. The "gophers"
had been dumping dirt there about
thirty minutes.
49, ~ t..l. Il a.. T..
woman To herself. "Ord make the
landlord clane out the basement. shure.p
And then she journeyed on TO early
mass and the consolation Of her soul
The morning aud part OF Sunday
afternoon sped by. No bees ever
worked like the diligent "gophcrs"
nearing the $500 900. 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 Mt the eligible
structure that stood next the bank. She
was astounded at the growth OF the
mound of earth In the rear basement.
From n small. inconscquential heap ii
had grown until tons OF earth were
now numbering the floor.
'Howly virgin. but the house Is
haunted complatelym exclaimed The
Mortified lady. and started straight for
a priest.
The cleric was not superstitious and
smiled nj the spook theory. lie started
for the house. On the way he notified
a sergeant of police ut minor
station. The sergeant knew his BUSH
ness aud at once OWNED the scheme of
the thieves. lie was also an ambitious
officer. and determined to make the
capture without first notifying the cen
trail office. This was contrary To police
rules and disarranged matters might