The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-30

| In the building until footsteps were hoard,
and Hoorey came unconcernedly into the
vault room and touched the alarm clock.
They knew then that the gang was COM
ing. Laughing and testing In a low tone.
although they were practically out OF the
| world and under the street. the four des-
| perate thieves came into the room and
| looked curiously at their enemy-locks
and bars.
Looks tough 'un. oh. Jim?" remarked
| McDevitt TO Brady.
"I've tackled worse nor that" was the
| encouraging reply.
"Well. boys. here's success TO us and
| TO his nibs. John Hoey." exclaimed Moore,
| pulling out a whisky flask and passing II
| around Moore, by the way, was dressed
In a high silk hat and looked quite the
| dude.
Within ten feet Of these men lay the
| detectives, Winchesters ready, but not
| TO be used yet for many week. Conner
assured me that the strain was awful.
| The least noise or motion would have re-
vealed their presence. They were caught
like rats in a trap and could not have
moved TO defend themselves.
Upstairs John Hoey had a no less
thrilling experience This night he saw
the gang quietly knock the top off a box
OF shoes and each one sit down and nj
himself with a new pair, and on subse-
quent Sunday nights he had the pleasure
of seeing the gang take away sundry
other articles committed 10 the companys
care; but there was little petty thieving
The gang was after great game. They
knew that there would be upward Of n
million dollars in gold and currency In
that vault on the Sunday before Christ
mas. and they would not hazard the
main change for the sake Of few tribes.
UNDr r LEGAL ADVICE.
So was the company playing for big
game-for nothing less than the lives or
the five men who were working the safe
under the muzzles Of the company's Win
chesters.
Legal advice had been taken. Horace
Russell, then district attorney had been
consulted. and the conclusion had been
reached that sudden death must be melted
out TO the criminals.
A crack Of a Winchester through hole
In the wall and that was all!
The argument was this: To an express
company the dead robber Is the only good
robber Jail has no terrors for these
fellows. It only gives them the better
opportunity to plot and plan for the fu-
ture. Hoorey himself was fair sample
OF what might be expected from Jail
bird.
The district attorney also set forth that
IL any one of the five lived to tell the
tale a case might be made out against
the company on the ground fha~ 1T had
lured, or at least admitted, the robbers
to its premises, having full cognizance Of
their intention TO cCnln.t crime.
ORDERS WE'RE TO KILL.
The orders, then, we're 10 XIII. ES-ery
man in the detective rarty had srgled
out his man. A young fellow who had
had previous trouble with Hoorey begged
leave to shoot him, and 1t was granted.
Conner had marked down Brady, and
One-eyed Dick Fields had set McDeyitt
as his special property.
Two of the other detectives, after
watching for three Sunday nights, be-
came sick and faint over the strain and
the stern necessity Of taking human life,
and were relieved from duty, two others
being substituted in their place.
The detectives plan was to let the
thieves work out their entire plot just
as it had been concocted, and not to
shoot until the last second, nor until the
sound Of fire engines was heard approach
ing on the street on the Sunday night
before Christmas.
What a day for such an awful retribu-
tionl
So they lay still as death Sunday after
Sunday watching the experiments on the
locks the tampering with the masonry
the deft manipulations Of the cOmbna-
tons. They could not tell but that some
change of plans might precipitate the
fatal moment and turn the vault-room
into a slaughter-house.
The tension on the nerves was awful.
The strain on the muscles, which must
be kept motionless. was distressing in the
extreme
THE LAST NIGHT.
II vvac co1aron and pafpfui capea Of
duty that the faithful little band gathered
together for their last Sunday nights
watch.
They had every reason to believe that
the tragedy was on hand. Every man
felt that he would have a fellOw-crea-
lures soul TO account for before the sun
rose.
The burglars had evidently worked on
without the slightest suspicion that they
had been watched. Broderick performed
his duty Of letting them in each Sunday
night. Hoorey touched off his clocks
regularly; the other four had worked
away unconsciously on the safe. The |
box OF tools had come and was lying in
the freight-room awaiting the purpose OF |
their skilful manpulators.
Indeed, il was a dreadful drive, that |
last one down to the rear of No. 50. and |
the positions were taken for the last
time with a deep sense Of the awful re-
sponsibility that each man was about TO
exercise.
Yet there was not the slightest sign Of |
weakening on any hand. Not a vince |
not even a thought OF commiseration for |
the fellows who were TO be riddled with |
bullets; only a stern, set resolution to |
obey orders at any cost.
THE LAST MOMENTS.
Ten o'clock came, and no sound save |
Broderck touching the clocks as usual /
until HoOrey came.
Eleven o'clock, and still Broderick: II |
he had stopped touching the alarms it |
would have caused an instant inyestiga- |
ton from the New street office.