The Delta independent., 1891-01-20
euRRowlNc FOR $500, 900.
rhe Wanderlngs of an Astonishsd wonss
Spoiled a Big Robbery.


selected was in city in New Jersey.
The enterprise was planned and princi-
pally pushed by clever pickpocket
"called .'Mollie Matches" alias John
Larney. He was man of enterprise.
courage 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 a practical.
personal way. He belonged to the
aristocracy of rogues was a prime
pickpocket. in fact. and if some light
fingered McAllister ever writes book
he will tell You such a man belongs to
roguery's 400"
Matches did the outside work. He
procured the tools, the section jim
mics, the sprcaders, pullers, wedges.
mauls. suction-pump, putty. powder,
fuse, saws, files, 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
in Cleveland, under the direction of
man who was once the chief police
officer of that city. They cost Matches
$500. 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.
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 janitor
of the bank, who was also its night
watchman. He let the talented robber
inside Que 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 ad-
vance. One 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
sunnel into the bank from the neigh
ooring house. Descending to the base
nent they began. guided by their map
Of the bank.
All night they moiled and toiled In
he basement. A good deal of work
as before them, as they had to tun-
| under the open yard between the
o, iiGings for a space of ten feet But
they kept on. for they were within fifty
feet CT 5000, 600. 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 a large basket and
dump it in 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 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 SUM-
day morning. She coveted the edifice
for 'boordin'-house." 1t was locked,
SO she went about peering into the
u
earth on the floor. The "gophers"
had been dumping dirt there about
thirty minutes
..Av Oi TUX it." said the old Irish
woman to herself. ''Oi'd make the
landlord clane out the basement, shurs."
And then she journeyed on to early
mass and the consolation of her soul.
The morning and part of Sunday
afternoon sped by. No bees ever
worked like the diligent 'gophers"
nearing the 5000, 900. The pile of
earth in the back basement grew
apace. AT 3 o'clock in the afternoon
the old Irish woman. her mind fraught
with "boordin'-house," determined to
take another look at the eligible
structure that stood next the bank. She
was astounded at the growth of the
mound of earth in the rear basement.
From a small. inconsequential heap it
had grown until tons of earth were
now cumbering the floor.
.Howly virgin. but the house is
haunted complatelyr' exclaimed the
hoyritied lady, and started straight for
priest.
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 minor
station. The sergeant knew his busi-
ness and at once divined the scheme of
the thieves. He was also an ambitious
officer, and determined to make tho
capture without first notifying the GEN.
trail Office. This was contrary to police
rules and disarrangsd matters might
lily. If he had notified 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 signal which
the chief might give, to fly to the men
at work and notify them of discovery.
The signal was simple. The chief was
to put up a certain window of his
office. That means Look outr'
But the sergeant did not notify the
chief. He wanted the credit himself;
SO he took squad and captured the
industrious "gophers'' in their tunnel.
"And they were within two hours Of
the stuff, too. said Matches. sadly. as
he related the matter to me- Two
hours more and they'd had that $780,
000l'-Kdnsas City Star.
Men Stare.