Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-01-27
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and tryin' to keep me out of the room
where my sleepin' children lay.
Lord, it makes me creep and perspire
all over now to think of it.
Yer see them bank people come over
to my place for lunch best part of the
TIM, and they all knowed my little
people, and the mill people knowed 'em,
too. My oldest boy worked in the mill
and they'd been as kind as could be
when he's sick. Christmas time they's
good to him, too, and there warn't n
bank officer but what had remembered
my little people, even to the watchman
Seemed like robbing my own people,
somehow. Is bound not to inform on
the gang, and they's bound ter rob ther
bank, but | cursed 'em in my heart for
comm just when l was gettin' rid of
the old life for good and all. Twas
awful!
Well, judge, you know how them
rooms over the bank was rented to start
new daily paper. | made 'em swear
solemn as my name warnt to appear
nowhere. I'd plan 1t all out and give
'em points and be on hand at the last,
but | had to be cautious.
They found out when the money was
to be paid and greed on the night be-
fore for the robbery. had all mapped
out for 'em where and how they were
tn loosen up the boards of the floor in
their room above, so we could break
through and lower ourselves into the
vault when the time came Then you
see we'd only have the safe to get into
and the great iron door between us and
the watchman.
Everything was ready, and we was
pretty sure the money was paid.
Do you hear that storm now, judge?
Twas like that ten years ago tonight.
dark as Egypt, with the rain and wind
perfect hurricane; terrible night;
the kind of night for any sort Of crime.
The men chuckled to themselves. Twas
a fortune sure this time and they'd all
be on the way to comfort and safety be-
fore day. | amt never seen 'em so ex-
cited. Nothin' hadn't gone wrong and
nothin' couldn't now.
We had sentinels stationed round to
give the alarm, but there wasn't much
danger on a night like that.
We had planned so as to have the
door of the safe ready to blow open
when the watchman went down cellar
to see to his fires. | knowed time of
night he did so, seem him often from
my house across the way through the
window of the bank, but to make sure
we stationed a man where he could give
the signal at the proper time. With
the watchman downstairs and we shut
in that vault, with solid masonry below
us, 'twarn't in the range of possibilities
for no human to hear us.
Twas planned that when we broke
through the ceiling me and one of the
others was to go down first with the
lanterns and tools and get the door
ready for jim Groogan, the leader of
the gang, to come down and use the
dynamite and be on hand to take out
the money.
Lord, but it was just the night for
such a piece of work, and after | had
examined to see If all was safe, know
ing the dangers better than the others.
we broke through the floor and lowered
the ladder, and there we was-right in
the vault. Twas well for me I'd hit 1t
right, for my life warnt worth much
If any O. my plannin' failed to work.
Tom Doolan in hurry went down
first and when l was half way down
he started back, saying in hoarse kind
of whisper:
'Who called meT
"No one, you fool" said Jim.
"Then," he said, and he ran past me
on the ledder, someone Is down there.
Twict l heard someone say: Go back,
go back"
"We'll gag him." said Jim, and me
and him went down ind turned our
lanterns round lookin' everywhere, but
there warn't no one there.
"What's the matter with the fool?''
growled Jim, and went back and tried
to send him down again, but he Just
wouldn't go, so Jim cursed him and
come himself, and he and me begun
to get the safe door ready to blow up.
That's a thing that takes time and