The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-01-26
THE LAWYERS STORY

l. ILL A1A Il AAO ~ NJ OlU l.
At the time the following incident
took place I was about twenty-four
years Of age, and had just been adj
mitted to the American bar. I had
studied hard, and my preceptor pre-
dicted for me great success in the pro
fession I had chosen; in fact, I felt
myself that was sure Of success soon
er or later. This feeling was not that
Of vanity, but only a consciousness Of
power I must confess, however, an
fore making any reputation, or even
having any difficult case upon which
to exercise my ability.
One day took up the morning paper
according to my usual custom, and
was soon interested in the graphic &C
count Of a cold-blooded murder and
bank robbery. The Fifth National one
of the richest banks in the city, had
been robbed Of one hundred thousand
dollars and the janitor shot. The cash.
Ter was found the morning after the
occurrence in small closet in the in
ner Office, and his death was expected
hourly-the great wonder being that
he had not smothered.
Like many others I took an interest
in the case, which was so mysterious,
no clue being found, except a black
mask and revolver which had been
dropped in the Office. The janitor &C.
cupied rooms on the lower floor, but
his body was discovered in the room
adjoining the Office in which the cash.
ier was found, and in which was the
safe. The doctors all agreed that the
janitor lived for about ten minutes af-
ter being shot; and that he must have
struggled hard, for his head showed
marks Of blows from the butt of re-
vOlYer
That this could all take place in an
adjoining room, and the cashier not be
put on his guard, seemed absurd, and
there were many who claimed that
he was an accomplice, had opened the
safe, and then been locked in the clos
ct without considering the INSULT
cheney Of air. The cashier, contrary
to all expectations recovered and
told his story.
He stated that he was detained at
the bank by some work until nine
o'clock. He heard no noise Of any
MILL, UuC WAS ScdIeu dL LIS ucSh DuSuy
writing; then he heard someone ex-
claim, look around, or make Il noise
and you are a dead man." ?
Looking naturally ahead, he beheld
in the mirror over his desk a man in
his shirt-sleeves, who held a revol-
yer close to his head. The fellow was
about 6 feet in height. quite stout, and
had on a black mask which covered
his face to his mouth; his chin was
bare, and his revolver was held in
his right hand, the left being cut off
at the elbow. This he saw in the few
seconds that elapsed before the robber
ordered him to get up, repeating his
injll ctiOn not to look around or make
a noise.
He then said, II have come for the
money in that safe. I have killed the
janitor, and will kill you unless you
open it. In order to show you that I
mean business, I have brought the
body Of the janitor up stairs, and he is
in the next room. Walk to the door
and look at him. You need not try
to escape, for the outer door is lock-
ed, and I will shoot you if you attempt
ity'
The cashier walked to the door of
the main Office. and beheld the dead
OOuy VI Cue JdullOi upon lue uOOF.
Nov, open the safe," said the rob-
Der.
The cashier, frightened at the fate
before him if he refused, decided to
open the safe, hoping for an opportu-
nifty to overpower the rufnan; but
when the safe was open, the robber
quietly ordered him to enter the closet.
This he was also compelled to do. The
closet was SO small that q person
. could not turn around in it, other
wise he would have pushed open the
door and grappled with the robber
when he heard him drop the revolver,
which he was obliged to do to lock the
door. He heard the robber at the
safe, but in few minutes became IN
conscious from lack Of air, and knew
nothing more until his recovery.
This story created great excitement,
the more so from the fact that the
description was almost an exact one
of Col. Coventry, one Of the bank direc-
tors. The colonel had been an officer
In the Civil War, and had lost his left
forearm in the service. The cashiers
story was corroborated by finding
blood upon the car pet Of the janitor's
room, and it was found by experiment
that a revolver discharged therein
could not be heard in the Office above.
Two men informed the reporter that
they bad seen Col Coventry walking
by the bank at half-past eight on the