The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-28
HIGH POWER BURGLARS.
STEAM AND ELECTRICITY TO THE
CRACKSMEN'S AID.


From the Nep York Recorder.
In this age of machinery il is not surpris-
ing TO find class Of clever mechanics who.
by negative methods. have done much to
bring the art OF safe manufacture to its
present state Of perfection, discardine the
time-honored Jimmy" "hand drilIn and
drag" In favor Of the modern "powern
processes.
That steam machinery should rapidly
come into universal use for burglarious pur-
poses is unlikely. owing 30 considerations of
expense; and the difficulties connected with
the application Of the power, but there is at
least one instance Of its adoption on mag
nifcent scale.
The felonious genius to whom Is due the
dubious honor OF being the pioneer in this
department. OF mechanics was John Glare.
alias John Gilmore, truly scientific cracks
man, who is now in temporary retirement
In consequence OF being found in possession
OF number Of oleverly constructed i'm
PIGMENTS, evidectly designed for use in his
business"
Gilmore, who is now a handsome we'll
preserved man of SO, began life as a pho
tographer, but for the past thirty years has
devoted himself 20 a career OF crime which
LUG NV OCDh WAbuCuk It's I6NAfu. he is a.
person or refined appearance and manners
dresses we'll, aud usually affects "a dropping
mustache and long flowing slde-whiskers of
the Dundreary type, which give him rather
mild and benevolent aspect. He first
came into notorlety in 1865, when he was
arrested in Baltimore for shooting and kills
ing Henry B. Grove, was con Victed and
sentenced TO de0th. He succeeded, however
in getting a new trial, which resulted ia
his acQuittal. For nearly twelve years af-
terward he was the associate OF such emf
nent felons as Ike Marsh. Jimmy Hope,
big Frank" Mccoy and Eddie Geary
Ills master stroke. which geve him his
unique fame aud only failed of complete
success by the merest accident. was made in
1874.
In the early spring OF that year dapper,
smartly dressed, glib-tongusd young man
who introduced himself as John Gilmore, re-
Gently OF Boston, entered into negotiations
for tho purchase of the premises at SO
Eighth avenue, with the view Of opening a
first~olass oyster and chop house. He paid
81 900 down, and gave mortgage for 81, 900,
payable on Aug. l. The owner said he
would have no objection to extending the
mortgage, but Mr.. Gilmore replied that ne
guessed business would be good enough to
enable him to clear off the mortgage. The
next day he took possession. and force
OF carpenters, plumbers and decorators was
set to work 70 transform the store floor into
restaurant. Business prospered, and it
was wonderful what a popular man Mr.
Gilmore became. The neighbors swore by
him, and certain timid depositors in the
New York Savings Bank and the New
York County Bank In the big brownstone
building at the corner Of Fourteenth street :,
next door to the chop house, even went to
the length of declaring that the close prox-
unity OF such a respectable man as Mr.. Gil
more actually added to tho security OF the
two institutions.
Pretty soon Gilmore leased the building
a. BOB West Fourteenth street, on the other
side OF the bank building, and opened a
billiard hall. The billiard room had pas
sageway leading 70 the rear Of the oyster
saloon, so that he had the bank building
completely surrounded. Toward the midi
die OF June q big truck drove UP to the
saloon door and q boiler and 5-horse-
power upright engine were dumped on the
sidewalk. Jocular customers asked Gil
more whether be was doing such a big
business that he was going to have his
oysters opened by steam. Gilmore smiled
softly and said that the engine was 30 run a
dish-washing machine and set of ventilat-
Ing fans. AT that the customers said
"Eaterprising man, that Gilmore tell
you he's daisyp
He was!
10 due time the boiler and engine we're
erected In the cellar, and then Gilmore had
a double plank partition erected across the
cellar. He said that 1t was the deaden the
noise Of the engine.
1t happened that year that July fell on
Saturday, and that as this would leave all
the banks closed for two days the police, as
Is customary, were directed to exercise
special vigilance. There was no reason
why Policeman Keller should have been
nfnl INgn Cos &kA H1S-- AAk,.
banks, but as he passed by shortly after
midnight on July his ear caught a sound
like the whirring of machinery from the
basement Of Gilmore't saloon. 1t was
probably, he thought, only Gilmore's
engine, but on listening again he was con-
vinced that he detected the sound of drill.
Hurrying to the station house, he soon re-
turned with q sergeant and a squad of men.
In the band all seemed quiet, but the sounds
continued. A sharp rap at the door of the
saloon brought the proprietor to a window
on the second floor. "Hello, sergeantm he
cried. whats up9 Hold on a minute and
I'll be DOWN. Then he closed the window
and the police waited for nearly five minutes
before it dawned upon them that Gilmore
wasn't coming. He had beat hasty retreat
over back fences and roofs to Fifteenth
street, leaving three of his comrades in the
cellar. These three worthless were sighted
as they made dash for the rear, and were
captured after sharp chase. They proved
to be William Morgan, alias BUNKER"
james Simpson and Charles Sanborn.
Gilmore owed his escape to the fact that
he happened TO be upstairs when the police
arrived His trail across the roofs was
followed, and at one point he was found 90
have leaped an alley twelve feet wide
and then lowered himself TO the ground
with a rope ladder which he carried with
him. On descending to the cellar, the
police found the engine RAINING at full
speed driving drill through hole that
had teen dug in the cellar we'll, into the
massive granite vault of the savings bank.
At the rate at which the drill wAs working
it would not have required more than two
or three hours TO make breach In the rear
OF the vault.
There we're In the vaults money and Sc
curities worth $1,000, 900.
Gilmore's companions were sentenced to
long terms of imprisonment, but he himself
evaded capture for nearly two years, when
he was arrested and sent 60 Sing Sing for
AZ years.
Daringly original as was Gilmores appli-
cation of steam power, IL was, after all =, a
bungling and cumbersome continuance com
pared to a device which the general use OF
high-powered electric currents promises 10
make available. Already one such machine
is in existence, having been fouud by the
Chicago notice among the aband 1ned effActa