The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-18


glars. But there was still further pro-
lection. A burglar alarm connected
with doors and windows, and a special
wire ran from the bank to the police
station. | was required to send in a
signal over this wire every 80 minutes.
The code of signals ran thus: One push
ON the button. "All is we'll here;" two
pushes, II am ill.," three pushes, Help
wanted at once. !"
BY o O'Clock in the evening I was
through with all my work, had sent IN
my signal and was seated in the presi-
dents room with book in my hand.
would rend until midnight. After send
ing in the signal would fall asleep and
sleep for exactly 30 minutes. When the
1890 signal was sent in. I would slum-
Der again until minute TO o'clock.
You may think this bit odd, but ven-
ture to say that eight watchmen ont Of
ten do the same thing. After had firm
ly impressed ii on my mind that must
wake up at q certain moment 1t was
easy enough to do so. From 12 to o
o'clock had twelve 90 minute maps.
Sometimes awoke five seconds too soon,
and sometimes five or six seconds past
the 30 minutes, but never varied over
seven seconds at the furthest. My sleep
ing was not exactly a dereliotion Of
duty. as the burglar alarm could be de-
pended on to wake me up. and the sig
nal at every half hour was proof that
everything was all right in the bank.
About the time Of my appointment
the suit of rooms directly above tho
bank were vacated by lawyer. and a
dentist moved in. Before the bank
would rent to him, he being a stranger,
he had TO secure recommendations and
thoroughly identify himself. Hc claim
cd to hail from st. Louis, and he pro-
duced letters from half dozen well
known residents of that city, all of
which were aftorward found to have
been forged. The man gave his name
Rs .. NJ. Hildobrande, and he fitted the
rooms mp very handsomely and was
soon established in business. This fell
lows real profession was burglary and
bank robbing. and his real name was
Ed Williams. He did not know one
dontal instrument from another, bat
hired fresh graduate TO do all the work
which came to him. There We're four
rooms in the suit. The front room was
the purlor, the second the operating
room, the third storeroom, and the
fourth bedroom. This bedroom was
just above small room at the rear end
of the bank which was used as cloak
rnd washroom. In building the bank
the ceiling os the first floor had been
made secure by filling the spaces be-
tween the joists with brick. Over tho
vault there were plates OF iron as fur
rher protection.
Williams hired the rooms as part Of
plan to rob the bank. There were
three men in the plot, but tho other
two did not appear until the last mo-
ment. After occupying the rooms for
nearly Il year, doing business with the
bank and making himsslf solid al.
around, he was ready to spring his trap.
All his work was done in the daytime.
He cut n hole In the floor of his bedroom
and removed bricks and mortar until
only crust remained. II was slow
work. and he had to exercise great care.
lie knew OF the small room Below, and
he knew of the burglar alarm, the po-
lice wire and the half hour signals. Ho
could not know of my habit of sleeping
after midnight. though he probably sus-
pected il. AT any rate. at quarter TO
o'clock one October night the three
burglars in the job broke through the
crust OF the ceiling. lowered themselves
down by means Of rope. and at 10
minutes to n strong hand clntched
my throat. the muzzlc of revolver
was placed 20 nv teirrle. md opened
s,y eyes to ste three men standing bo-
etre me.
"Now, then. said Williams MS he let
70 of my throat and stepped back. let
ID understand each other. We have