The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-09-10


questing them to lot him know the
| instant he might be wanted.
He departed in fevSrish state o
| anxiety. wondering, naturally, "ha'
the night would bring forth.
Now, directly tho old gentleman had
left tho real character Of the pseudo
police officers was apparent. IL was
quite true that u notorious little
gang of bank robbers contemplated an
attack on tho bank that night, and
those scoundrels wore actually none
others than themselves! Their war
rants were forgeries and the sergcants
uniform the perfection of imitation to
tho last button. No time was to be
lost. From tho coat-tail pockets OF tho
sergeant came some Of the finest tenn
percd steel drills and other implements
for forcing and boring iron safes as
ever graced the person OF the most OK
pcricnccd crib cracker. Dcftly manu-
facturcd skeleton keys for picking Inc
best and most complicated locks were
brought forth: in short, everything
needed for Il thorough and successful
burglary.
"We'vc got long nights work,
Charlie, I'm afrIid," said one. Its
now 8 o'clock, and il we get through
| this safo under ten hours we're lucky.
We must set to work with wlll.'
Accordingly the sergeant" speedily
turned his attention to tho back prom
iscs with Wow to II hurried escape
should they be disturbed, while the
two others directed theirs to tho hugo
iron safe spoken Of by the banker.
Drills were quickly applied behind the
hinges of Tie door, and boring com
mcnccd IN real earnest, for these "gen-
tlcmcn" burglars knew pretty well
everything worth knowing rs to the
construction Of most safes in use.
Progress was very slow at first, nut
the men never ceased. Drill, drill,
drill, on went the work almost in ST.
hence. Now and thon just short spell
fot q "brcathcr." Midnight arrived,
and Il little better progress, for they
labOrcd harder than ever. One. 2, 3,
o'clock, and now The huge iron door
began to yield aud creGk d little.
"Tough work, Jim. But it;ll pay us
in the end, old fellow. Keep it up.
We must finish it by o'clock, for per
hups come blessed 0ilcc-clcaner may
he here, Or people moving outside.
-Four o'clock unI Il good aperture was
made. Five O'Clock nnd they were
pcrspirinS like blacks.n;ti,s ut a forgc
in July, and they worked like u.nmOns
with thci" drills and levers. Presently, y,
with u united and terrific effort. thc
0uler door was looscned from It's
sockets.
Good" niutrercd one, as they grad
ually, yet lAboriousiy. lowered the
mighty piece Of metal to t,.1 ground.
"Tha inner compartment Is very aho. t
work, rhummic.'
And so i. proved, for with the utmost
dcxterjty oEu Uricd the lock us tho
other, with Il this chisel as hard as
adamunt, started forcing IT," door.
"Onc more wrench, Jim. ,n1 then
ior the spoil" And he rubbed his
hands W ith giaa.
Clnng! >And opsn icw the door.
But what?
t'oilcd! Frustrated. jsa5!ed' The
safe was empty.
The scoundrcls, who had instantly
divcd tEcir hands into the interior,
shrank back &Ehast, swearing and
pouring curses upon the old bankers
head.
Bah. the old blackguard. lie mas
done rs. Jim, And who'd have
dreamed il ~
"Thcrc's no ,iiGn to lose" blurtcd
his confederate, smashing anything he
cUuld lay his hand on in silce, van u
ness. It's striking u O'clock and
working p>Uplc are about"
Tools were Nurtiadly collected and
pockcLcd aguin. ana tn.i 'sergeant.' =
with disappointed growl. su,;uc3tcd
that they should go out by the door
they came IL by. as nobody WAS stir
ring much, and the back way meant
ocnilng walls and ruo:s. This they
did, bat Immediately V on emerging into
the street they were met by Mr.. Mars.
den in company with three cOnstablcs.
The old banker haG experienced a
siecp!css night and rising early, call
Ing ut the police station, innucnnilY
enough, on his way to ascertain the
news, il any, aud he was there aston
ishcd TO learn TINT they believed it to
be bogus affair, rs tn1y knew moth
ing Of it.
There WAS desperate effort on the
part OF the burglars to escape, but one
or two passing "'nrhmcn at the cry OF
"llclp' rendered hssiEtance, and the
'policc officers were STRONGLY secured.
MIR. PhilliP Marsdcn, on etepE;Rg
into the bank, although greatly un.
ncrycd and agitatcd at the state of
ailairs. could scarcely suppress his
laughter on finding that his ''decoy," )"
rs ne called it, had given SO much
trouble, and thoroughly done them,
A!though he was quite ignorant OF the
piot he had unintentionally laid for
them.
The "dccoy." an old, insecure safe,
which was alwayp purposcly kept
empty, was one Of Mr. !Marsdcn's in
%entous ideas lor throwing burglars OF
III" scent. being fixed in Il prominent
position - attract notice while othor
SAFES containing the valuablcs were
lar away from the rooms in ordinary
Use.
Inc pScudo.dctcctivc officers arc in
sale custody row. They have thcir
regular "drills, and instead OF pick.
my locks. pick oakum.