Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-09-13


way to Fifth avenue and into the park.
Since that park was formed few men
have ever passed it's walks in whose
bosoms ragged such tumult as in mine.
was young, in love with pleasure, and
poverty seemed fearful thing. kept
saying, II cannot do this thing" and
then I would add, "How am I to keep
up appearances and how am to pay
my debts?" Unhappily had taken ar
enemy into the citadel In the misery
of the struggle drank heavily.
In my excitement exaggerated my
poverty until it seemed impersonated
and assumed the guise Of an enemy
threatening to enslave me. From 8
O'Clock to II Ipaced that mall, and then
left it to keep my appointment with
Irving & Co., with one thought surging
through my brain, and that was that
dared not be poor, the result being that
before we parted, to their renewed ques-
tion, "Will you do this for us?" "Of
course I will" I cried, and my feet had
slipped good many steps farther down
the Primrose Way to death.
The present generation has become
tolerably familiar with defalcations and
robberies involving enormous sums
Previous to 1861 they were compare.
lively unknown, the reason being that
the currency Of the country was strictly
limited There were absolutely no gov
ernment bonds Of currency, while the
few bonds issued by corporations were
not usually made payable to bearer and
therefore were not negotiable and were
Of no use to the robber But in 1861, to
meet the expenses of the war, the state
banks were taxed out of existence and
our present national currency system
came into being. In addition to the
enormous issue Of yeenhacks, bonds
payable to bearer amounting to hull
dreds Of millions were issued by the
general government, by the individual
states, counties, towns and cities, all
becoming popular investments. The
business of the express companies Of the
United States took a new phase, and for
the first time in their history they began
to be the carriers of vast SUMS from city
to city. Then it was that those gentle
men who work without the pale Of the
law discovered new prospects Of wealth
and realized that even to crack a safe or
vault Of a private firm would be reward
ed by find Of bonds that might amply
repay all risks of robbery under police
protection, while to execute a successful
raid on car or even an express deliv-
cry wagon on the street would mean
wealth. To burglarize the vaults of
bank meant, if undetected, anything
from opening a magnificent bar or hotel
in New York to steam yacht and win
ter cruises in the tropics and summer
nights on the Mediterranean.
The first coup in this line, which at
once became famous, was startling III
it's ease and magnitude. 1t was known
and still is as "the Lord bond robbery.
Lord was a very wealthy man, who had
inherited his millions. His Office was
in Broad street, where he managed his
estates. He had invested 81, 200, 900 in
7-3O bonds, all payable to bearer.
For the thief, if he had any knowledge
of finance and knew how to negotiate
them, such sum as this in bonds was
better than the same amount in gold.
This was really the first Of many
great bond robberies, and it struck the
popular fancy. but it stirred Wall street
greatly. Who shall describe the frenzy
Of excitement that broke out at 800
Mulberry street-police headquarters
when the first vague rumors Of gigan
tic robbery were fully confirmed and it
became known that Hod Ennis and his
gang had million and more Of plum
der?
All rings and pulls and gangs were
smashed, combined and recombined
again, while each and all were in al
agony of fear lest the booty should be
returned to the owner, minus per-
centage divided between the gang and
the ring, or sold to some clever fence, who
would plant the bonds away safely and
sell them in Europe from time to time,
keeping all for himself and they to
have no share. What visions of diamond
pins, Of eight or twelve carats, all Bra
lillian stones, of swift, high stepping
horses, of the heaven of Harlem lane Oh
Sunday afternoons, with bottle or two
under the vest, haunted the sleep of all
the detective force.
What a look Of relief and triumph
swept over the faces Of Irving, Stanley
and White when I gave my consent to
their proposal to take the stolen bonds
to Europe and negotiate them there.
They told NE many amusing lies as
to how the securities came into their
possession and as to who were the right
full owners. The truth was, as 1 after
ward learned, they were part of the
Lord bond robbery.
The next morning, Tuesday, Irving
met me near the exchange and with
some trepidation drew from an inner
pocket all envelope containing the thou
sand dollar bond. Without waiting TO
examine it walked off, saying, "I'll be
back in ten minutes" " He was evident
ly alarmed, and, like all rogues, suspi-
cious of every one. He probably had
some wild idea that was laying trap
for him. In his ignorance Of money
methods he thought it would be long,
perhaps difficult, negotiation to borrow
money on the bond, but of course |
made short work Of it, and Jimmy was