Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-02

u
the bank, and, therefore, was acquaint-
ed with It's vulnerable points The re-
port Of firearms alarmed his accom-
pliccs, for they fed and escaped. The
tunnel gave evidence Of long and pa
dent work on the part OF the robbers.
1t was sixty feet IN length. constructed
ON scientific principles. contained pro-
visions, water, and full outfit OF min
Ing tools. and must have been three
months In making. The robbery APP
peared TO be planned for the time OF
the month when the bank received
large retnittances OF currency and coin.
An extraordinary and daring robbery
was that which took place at the Cen
trail bank OF Western India, Hong
Kong. In 1865. when the thieves sue
eeoded in getting clear on with gold
and specie TO the extent OF nearly
$4,000. The robbers must have been at
work for some weeks before they en-
tered the banks treasury Their prln-
cpal labor was IN constructing tun-
mel Of sixty feet from an adjacent
drain TO n spot exactly below the
door Of the banks treasury vault a
perpendicular shaft OF ten feet VI suf-
ncient diameter was then made to
permit the passage OF one man to
reach the granite boulders on which
the floor OF the vault rested. These
gave way through being undermined,
and a flag being forced up, entrance
to the vault was at once obtained.
Two boxes We're removed. containing
gold bars or ingots marked with the
banks stamp, as well as all the paper
money. some bags OF dollars and u
box OF Decent pieces, No fewer than
between twenty and thirty men were
arrested on suspicion. One Of them
had $4,000 in his possession and two
bars OF gold bearing the banks mark.
The robbery was effected between n
Saturday and Sunday. and the first
thing that aroused suspicion was the
fact of little boy trying to sell a
bar OF gold TO hawker in one of the
bazars in Hong Kong A gentleman
who was passing asked where he got
the gold. and the boy replied that 1t
had been found at a certain place. He
gave the youth what he asked for IT,
namely. 81. and then informed the
police
Some years ago an equally daring
robbery took place at the late Cape OF
Good Hope bank, Kimberly. one sun
day morning the manager OF this bank
opened his cash safe to get parcel Of
diamonds which were under his Gus
tody, when he found several loose bags
Of money lying about the safe floor.
This rather puzzled him. but on look
ing around he spied an opening In the
wall of the safe and came to the con-
cluslon that burglar had been at
work The police were applied to, and
they found that the opening in the
wall communicated with a large street
drain In the vicinity. The total sum
distracted from the bank was about
5000, 900, but ON the drain being explor-
ed. about fifteen bags of silver. Of the
value of $4,000 each, were recovered
Naturally interested IN everything
affecting not only the classification Of
bank safes. but also burglarious break
ing into them, Mossrs Chubb Of Lon
don sent representative to Kimberly
to gather up any details OF the robbery
which would be OF service TO science in
coping with crime. This gentleman re-
ported that the strong room In question
was composed OF masonry, and that il
was considered one OF the strongest in
South Africa. The walls OF the room
were three feet thick. and TO get &c
these walls the burglars had first &c
penetrate through an outer wall foui
feet thick, and through three founda'
ton walls each two feet thick all these
walls being constructed Of solid cement
and brickworlt.
, There was also about twenty feet Of
earth to tunnel through, and the hole
, could not be made In direct line, bu
, had to be constructed with various
! turns 80 as TO enable the burglars with
) miners tools to get through the soft
est places The large drain through
which the burglars approached theI
: task opened out into street, so tina
t the thieves were provided with a con
: venient outlet II was believed that
large retriever dog helped In the rob
3 berry as 1t was seen TO run out Of tn
, culvert with something hanging roun'
l it's neck, but after being followed 70
r some distance all trace Of It was lost
The conviction Is forced on one tina
: as wooden vessels have given place t
4 iron or steeipiatcd armor ships, so, Il
the construction OF bank safes, ston
walls, however thick. must now yiel
10 those Of steel No masonry, be
ever so good is proof against under
- mining or assault and true securit
consists In having a safe that wi
= Withstand all the attempts Of the bur
!, rlar from whatever quarter they arise
, In recent attack on a bank safe Il
Paris there were observed in front 0
!. the safe door the flag ends OF numer
= GUS cigarettes and the fragments Of
feast. several empty wine bottles
!. chicken bones, etc. all testifying 10 IN
, dellcaey Of the French burglars pal
I ate and HIS love Of good cheer. The
: also evidenced that the burglars ha
I been many hours engaged in their at
. tempt, but had been foiled because tn
q safe door and safe lock which they az