Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-28

enemy into the citadel. In tho misery
Of the struggle frank heavily.
In my excitement / exaggerated my
poverty until it seemed unprecedented
and assumed the guise of an enemy
threatening to enslave me. From
O'Clock to IL Ipaced that mall, and then
left it to keep my appointment with
Irving & Co., with one thought surginS
through my brain, and that was that l
dared not be poor, the result being that
before we parted, to their renewed Ques-
ton, "will you do this for u.s." ''Of
course will!' 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 We're compare
lively unknown, the reason being that
the currency Of the country was strictly
limited. There were absolutely no gov
| eminent bonds of currency, while the
few bonds issued by corporations were
not usually made payable to bearer and
therefore were not negotiable and We're
| of no re 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 greenbacks, bonds
| payable to bearer amounting to hun
| dreds Of millions were issued by the
| general government, by the individual
| states, counties, towns ard 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 rewardA
| ed by find of bonds that might amply
repay all risks of robbery under police
| protection, while to execute Il successful
| raid On Il car or even an express deliv
cry wagon on the street would mean
wealth. To burglariZe the vaults of 4
! bank meant, if undetected, anything
| from opening magnificent bar or hotel
! ter cruises in tho tropics and summer
| nights on the Mediterranean.
The first coup in this line, which at
once became famous, was startling III
| its ease and magnitude. 1t was known
| and still is as 1.-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
7-30 bonds, all payable to bearer.
For the thief, if lie had any knowledge
| Of finance and knew how TO negotiate
| them, such a sum us this i'll bonds was
better than the same amount in gold.
|. This was really the first of many
| great bond robbcrics, 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-poiice headquarters
| when the first vague runners of gigan-
| tic robbery were fully confirmed and it
| became known that Hold 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 an
agony Of fear lest the booty should be
| returned to the owner, minus a 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 i'll Europe from time to time,
| keeping all for himself and they to
| have 10 share. What visions of diamond
pins, Of eight or twelve carats, all Bra
lillian stones, of swift, high stepping
horses, of tho heaven of Harlem lanc on
Sunday afternoons, with bottle or two
under the vest, haunted the sleep Of all
tho detective force.
| What u look Of relief and triumph
swept oyer 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 We're the right
full owners. The truth was, as / after
ward learned, they were part of the
Lord bond robbery.
The next morning, Tuesday, Irving
|
some trepidation drew from an inner
pocket an envelope containing the thou
sand dollar bond. Without waiting to
examine it 1 walked off, saying, I'll be
back III ten minutes. He was evident
ly alarmed, and, like all rogues, suspi-
cious OF every one. He probably had
some wild idea that I was laying a trap
for him. In Lis ignorance Of money
methods he thought it would be long,
perhaps difficult, negotiation to borrow
money on the bond, hUt of course 1
| made short work Of it, and Jimmy was
more than delighted when within the
ten minutes / walked in with ten one
hundreds in my hand. A trife like this
made great impression upon Irving,
and from that time On had his entire
confidence. Tuesday evening said good
by to my mother, merely remar,ling in
explanation of my journey that had a
commission given me to execute in Eu-
rope. Leaving her, / went to our rendez-