The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28

I svidar,os 10y. ne was turning states
eeDuSnce. II was he who BETRAYED re go,
Finkerton. il was his infor,ns,;o 1S
uleh had enabled PInkertOn 10 Dnt tba
! .lnucuiis on Scott and Dunlap in a draw
! - room car Just as the train was entari,,,
IhS station at West PhiladelDhia.
.-eSon toia In quiet way, so quietly and
uat.Ia any tnat one could not realize untiI
sue 1rial was over the highly dramatic ana
I;-.EA- IA story that he was telling. the
history OF this crime. He had been a sales
man for firm Of safe makers and for .
humber NUMBER OF years was regarded as the most
OrIIHant salesman in the business His busi-
ness TOOK him all over the country and rnada
MN familiar with the Weaknesses and
strength Of almost every safe and
vault used by banks throughout the United
While he was an honest man Edson had
put one weakness. He was very fond of
last horses and when ne was at home i'm Navv
10TH ne used to frequent an uptown stable
where wealthy men and horse fanciers gath
ereu ana chartered of an evening. Here he
nlaoe the acquaintance Of a man of most
fascinating manners, who used to talk with
MIN quite learnedly about the famous horses
and BY reason Of this common interest thew
nocame intimate. At last this man began
70 Tempt MIN and 20 say to him that there
were men In New York who would nav him
well Tor bis information regarding weak
saIes In banks throughout the country.
ms man was Robert Scott, or "Hustling
Doo, as ne was known In criminal circles.
ard Edison was amazed to find that a man
OF SUCH refined manners and gentle speech
was In fact great criminal. The tempta-
lions offered to him were too great for him
| 70 resist, and he at last consented to give
scott and bis associates suggestions about
banks whose safes could be easily handled
by expert criminals; and in return for his
suggestions he was TO receive certain pro
portion OF the plumber. The partnership
thus established lasted for several years.
Edison told on the stand how, under pre-
text OF examining the safe of the Northamp-
ton baak, he had discovered that it would
De easy to rob 1t. and great amount of
wealth could be found In 1t, provided onlv
the combinations could be secured, and be
suggested to the gang that they extort the
combination from the cashier. Among the
| many amazements which were the expert
ence OF the officers Of this bank in conuec-
ton with this robbery, perhaps none was
greater than the revelation that the man
whom they had employed to examine their
vaults was an accomplish Of the burglars.
WHY EDISON BETRA YED THEM.
Edison confessed frankly on the stand that
he was led to betray his associates because
| they bad acted in bad faith to him. His
share OF the proceeds OF the robbery should
have been, he thought, 100000, but they
would not give him anything. He threat
ened them with exposure and they laughed
at him, and then he went to Plnkerton. His
life was in danger, and that was why Pink
erton's detectives were with them con-
stantly. Some members Of this gang had
not hesitated to murder, and had In fact a
year or two before, killed George Howard,
who was an older member of the gang, for
alleged betrayal. Scott and Dunlap, how
ever, had always told the gang that, while
they we're burglars, they could never be MUIR
derers, aad that they would never take part
in any job where there was risk of assault, or
where murder was contemplated.
Edson's testimony uncorroborated could
not have convicted Scott and Dunlap, but
it was corroborated in many minor details
80 that conviction was certain. They were
sentenced to twenty years, and then they
began making propositions looking to the
return of something like 81 100000 of the
Unacceptable securities, in case sentence
was not carried out against them. Other
members OF the gang, including "Red
Leary" and "Billy" Porter, were disposed
to leave Scott and Dunlap in the lurch, but
they received word from the two convicted
men that unless they acted square, they
would themselves go upon the stand and
give testimony which would convict them.
Ultimately most Of the securities were re-
turned to the bank.
Scott, who was inclined to consumption,
fell victim to the disease and died after
about five years. confinement in prison. The
story Of his romantic courtship of his wife,
of her amaZement and horror when she dis
covered that the courteous, affectionate and
cultivated man whom she worshiped as her
husband, was none other than "Hustling
Bob" Scott, the leader of the notorious gang
of bank burglars, as well as her faithful
performance of her death-bed promise to
her husband TO cease not in her labors until
she had procured pardon for Dunlap, her
efforts being seconded by the officers of the
bank, who stated that it was owing to Dun
lap that the bank got back most of its
securities, has recently been told.
Edison, after trial, disappeared and not
even Pinkerton can be prevailed upon to
tell where he is, but / have heard in
vague sort Of way that he bought fruit
farm somewh here in the south, changed his
name, and has been living an honest life
ever since.
A STORY OF WONDERFUL CRIMINAL EX-
PLOTS.
After the trial spent several hours in
Edson's company, Mr. Pinkerton being also
present, and he told me q marvellous story
of the exploits of this gang. Scott, he said,
was born at Warsaw, ILL.,, of most respecta
BILE family. He was.sa very bright lad, and
received good education and was intended
for the bar; but he became fascinated with
life on the Mississippi, was employed upon
some of the river steamboats,, where by rea-
son of his activity he earned bis nickname
"Hustling Bob," and there he first became
acquainted with criminal life.
Dunlap was of Scotch birth and was an
honest man until after the war. He served
throughout the war in an Ohio regiment
and Yves brave soldier. Exactly how he
and Scott came together Edison never
learned, but they did some twenty years
ago. and going to New York met BILLY"
Porter. "Red Leary" aud two or three
Others whose names | have now forgotten.
They had already robbed one or two banks
when, at SCOTS suggestion, the acquaint-
ance of Eison was made and the bargain
contaminated with him.
Up to and including the robbery Of the
Northampton bank, these men had broken
into seven or eight banks in different parts
of the country, and had stolen securities
aud cash aggregating nearly $4,000 900.
Three of the robberies were simply marvel
Gus exploits of crime
THE ELMIRA BANK ROBBERY.
Edison came back from one of his trips
and told Scott that one of the banks in
Elmira could be assaulted successfully II
his directions were followed, and he said
that this bank usually bad large amount
of cash In iss vaults. He said that it might
take at least six months to get into the
vaults. and he did not believe that 1t could
be done by any attack npon the locks, be-
cause this could not be attempted without
,,,aAa of fna