The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-13
A Great Gold Robbery.
CBy Bennett Copplestone, in Cornhilrs
In three parts.)

| ON, you respectable cur, SAID Wallis.
you want the cash for yourself and the
risk for me. Well, you won't have Ell
ther''
Stevens's expression for an instant was
one of relief; then the recollection Of his
liabilities fell on him and he groaned, rs
it OFF,"
NO, it is not. He will stop for five
minutes
"How-?'
He has a wife and she is i'll. It is a
pretty job, more suited to you than to
me-
My character began Stevens.
Man." said Wallis. sternIy, Il know
you. Keep your character for the direc-
tors OF the Southeastern Bank. I have
none, and can not afford the luxury of
heartlessness. Understand that you are
my tool, my paid tool, whose business
| is to obey orders. Without you l could
not raise the money which will be re-
quired. That is the end of your useful
ness. For that service you will receive
60, GEO; the rest will be mine
The respected cashier in the Southeast
ern Bank jumped up, walked to the door,
returned and sat down. Wallis laughed.
| Williams, the Northwestern carman,
will be driving a van load of gold cases
| from the bank to Euston one afternoon
this week He will let me know the day
and hour by telegram, when he knows
them himself. He expects to get away
| from the bank about haIf-past three, and,
as the Liverpool train leaves Euston at
| 40, he can not give US more than five
minutes. He will drive along Gray's Inn
Road, turn down Wells Street, and stop
| here.
| Here" screamed Stevens, "at my Iodg-
! ings!"
Here! If you don't like it. you can re-
| tire from the affair."
wallis, let me implore you
Don't be a fool. Do not hundreds of
railway vans stop at private houses ev-
cry day?
| Il do not trust you. You want the dan
ger to fall on me-"
| Wallis shrugged his shoulders. 81 do not
want the danger to fall on anybody. You
need not go on unless you like"
Il wish to Cod"
Better leave God out. 1t seems insult
able. Your moral scruples are only cow
ardice in a wrapping of religious
phrases"
If the robbery is discovered at Eus-
ton we are caught at once"
''The robbery will be discovered in New
York"
You can not make sure
Absolutely sure. I was not a clerk in
the bullion Office of the Bank of England
without learning a few useful things. 1
was smart clerk"
81 wish it could be avoided.
should lose my place if it were found
out"
VIII your place be more secure when
you are a bankrupt, as you will be in a
few weeks if we don't get this gold?'
Il am hemmed in on all Sides" groaned
Stevens; "oh, why
You will want 9100. I have pomised
Williams $50, and 1 have also promised
that no suspicion shall ever approach
him. / have not your unblemished char
acter, but 1 am man of my word
You did! Why, 1 thought
Yes, you thought that all risk was to
be shunted on to Williams. That is just /
the kind of thought which would came
naturally to YOU
How will you prevent it?'
That is my business. You will kindly
now go TO Graham, the money-lender in |
Essex Street. He will let a respectable |
bank cashier like you have 91O0 without
any trouble, and he won't charge YOU
more than 60 per cent. When you have
the money, l may perhaps give you a |
few more details. You may not trust me, !
but you cannot rise to the supreme dis |
trust which 1 have for you. Now, 60"
1t was twenty minutes to four on Fri |
day afternoon. Stevens stood at the win |
dow of his own sitting-room looking into /
Wells Street. He was instructed to give |
instant warning of the approaching rail- |
way van. As a Waterman he was -indif- |
ferent, lacking concentration. Wallis |
moved about his preparations. quiet. de- |
termined; man who knew that haste
eats up valuable seconds. On the floor |
stood small open case filed with large,
fiat leaden bars. The protecting bands |
hnnn-irnp hoA
cover taken off. The writer in the Econ
omist' has already described both case
and contents in ample detail. Wallis was |
the designer and constructor. Near the .
case was large spring balance. On the /
table conveniently arranged were plaster
of Paris, water, a large bowl, putty, lin
seed oil, sealing-wax, a hammer and |
nails, chisel, a knife, and a watch.
small gas cooking-stove supplied by a
long. flexible tube had been placed on
the table; it was burning. Wallis looked |
round, thinking hard. 'All is ready" he
said.
A strange cry came from the window.
Instantly Wallis picked up a great
coarse, black sack, and looked round |
again. Stand by the balance" he said,
sharply.
There was rattle of wheels outside
and Wallis was gone. The seconds licked
away. ten, twenty, thirty, and he came
heavily back, the great sack slung over
his shoulder. In a moment a second case
stood by the first; closed, nailed down,
and on the edge of the cover the Bank
of England's broad red seal! Stevens
staggered back shivering, the awful real
lty of what had been done striking him
like blow. Wallis stopped and with
powerful effort swung the stolen case on
to the tray of the balance. Read the
weight" he cried, land make no mis-
take He dragged his own cleverly de-
signed case near and temporarily ADJUST
ed the cover
"A hundred and twenty-nine and
quarter" murmured Stevens
'Om it comes. Now read again" He
heaved up the load Of lead
\ hundred and thirty and half" wal
lis snatched at the chisel and cut long I
curls from the uppermost bar. Now"
"A hundred and twenty-nine" Wallis
threw back into the case a small piece Of
lead then another. Make IT about an
ounce less than the gold" he said I'VE
must allow for the nails and the wax"
A moment later came the quick beat
Of the hammer, as Wallis drove the long
nails through the cover and fastened down
the bands Of hoop iron
Mix the plaster OF Paris" said Wallis.
and stir il quickly lest it set too soon"
He took the putty and built a low wall
about the Bank Of EngIand's seal Then
he lightly oiled both the wax and putty.
The plaster OF Paris was ready Wallis
filed the shallow well he had made.
the plaster for few seconds
while it set, and then lifted of the hard
white block. The oil had prevented any
sticking. and Wallis had secured an exact
IMPRESSION in reverse Of the Banks seal.
Stevens. who had been drilled into the
lndersta nding OF details, melted sealing