Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-10-15
THEtAVYER'S STORY.

P1PSss ohA W11 so0u kuecIccSE1 III
the graphic account of cold blood
ed muIder and bank robbery. The
Fifth National, one Of the richest
banks in the city. had been robbed
of 500, 900 and the janitor shot.
The cashier was found the morn
ing after the occurrence in small
closet in the inner Office, and his
death expected hourly-the great
wonder being that he had not been
smoshered.
The janitor occupied q room on
the lower floor but his body was
discovered in the room adjoining
the Office in which the cashier was
found, and in which was the safe.
The doctors all agreed that the
janitor had lived for at least ten
minutes after being shot that he
must have struggled hard, for his
head showed marks of blows from
the butt of revolver.
That this could all take place in
an adjoining room, and the CASH
ier not be put on his guard, seemed
absurd, and there were many who
claimed that he was an accom-
plice, had opened the safe and then
been locked in the closet without
considering the insufiiciency of
air.
The cashier, contrary to all ex-
pectations, recovered and told his
story.
He stated that he was detained
at the bank by some work until 8
o'clock. He heard no noise of any
kind, but was seated at his desk
busily writing then he heard some
one exclaim "Look around, or
make q noise, and you are a dead
man ="
Hooking naturally ahead, he be-
held in the mirror over his head q
man in his shirt sleeves, who held
o revolver close to his head. The
fellow was about six feet in height,
stout, and had ON black mask,
which covered his face to the mouth;
his chin was bare, and his revolver
was held IN the right hand, the left
arm being cut off at the elbow.
81 have come for the money in
that safe. l have killed the jani-
tor, and will kill you unless you
open it. In order to show you
that L mean business, l have
brought the body of the janitor up
stairs, and he is in the next room.
Walk to the door and look at
him."
The cashier walked to the door
of the main office and beheld the
dead body of the janitor upon the
floor.
"Now, open the safe," said the
robber.
The cashier, frightened at the
fate before him if he refused. de-
cided to open the safe, hoping for
an opportunity to overpower the
ruffisn, but when the safe was open
the robber quietly ordered him to
enter the closet.
The closet was so small that a
person could not turn around in it,
otherwise 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 q few minutes became un-
conscious from the lack of air,
and knew nothing more until his
recovery.
The description was almost an
exact one of Col. Coventry, one
of the bank directors. The Col
onel had been an officer in the
war, and had lost his left forearm.
Two men had informed the re-
porter that they had seen Col. Cow
entry walking by the bank at $50
on the .evening of the murder.
This evidence was sufficient to
cause his arrest, and he was placed
in Jail.
l determined to defend Col Gov
entry, for | saw an opportunity to
prove his innocence and make o
reputation for myself. He looked
at me in surprise, and smiliugly
said that he had older and more
experienced lowyers.
"Colonel," said, "they, as we'll
as all who read the papers, do be-
lieve you guilty but / know you
are innocent, and, what Is more, I
can prove it."
"Prove it !" said the Colonel.