The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-02-28


don and Miscellaneous bank You must
be dreamingP
Il hope l am, replied the other
And, if SO. 1 owe you an apology
Anyhow, I'm not rounding on any pals,
and I'm not asking money for the infor-
nation. Fact is, overheard a conversa-
ton that wasn't meant for me in a pub
lie house-at least overheard scraps
of it-and I'm very much mistaken if
the burglary of your bank wasn't the
leading idea of the dialogue "
Mr.. Julian Foster, while expressing
his gratitude, poohpoohed the warn
ing. "Still, as l said, /" the manager
continued, I'm very much obliged to
you, and, supposing it should turn out
that you have been we'll informed, the
directors would naturally be very
glad''-
Never mind about that I'm not on
the make. only came and told you be-
cause l thought you'd like to know
By by Load up the shotgun and look
outp'
He shook hands and hurried off with
out even troubling to mention his name
and address, and Mr.. Julian Foster
leaned back in his chair and turned the
matter over in his mind
HUM he soliloquized. II won
der. "
The Sidcup branch was certainly
easier to rob than most. 1t was situated
in new house, the lease of which had
been bought cheap from a stationer
whose business had been unsuccessful
The safe. which stood in the back par
lor, was of very simple and ordinary
kind
On the other hand, the branch was
not, as a rule, worth robbing 1t did
very little business, existing mainly for
the purpose of raking in deposits, and
very little in the way of cash or other
negotiable securities was ever kept
there
On the following Wednesday, how
ever, the branch would, for the first
time in its history, be in position to
repay any burglar for his trouble To
meet the views of particular depositor
in the company promoting business
who had given notice of withdrawal,
there would be 500, 600 in the safe.
Mr.. Julian Foster, like most bank
managers, was good at arithmetic. and
he put two and two together
Burglars, . he reflected, like po-
Iicemen, usually act upon information
received, though heaven only knows
where they get it FRONT If there's any
idea of breaking into this bank, think
we may take it that the attempt will
be made while that money is on the
premises. .
That very afternoon he began his
preparations for giving the intrudars a
warm reception AS soon as banking
hours were over he went up to town
and bought revolver. 1t was weapon
be was used to, and he pracliced suffi-
GENTLY to satisfy himself that he retain
ed considerable skill with it. Then,
by degrees. his plan Of campaign de-
veloped itself
"The simplest way, suppose, he
meditated, would be to get the police
to keep an extra lookout on Wednesday,
or l might get special plain clothes
officer down from headquarters. But
where should | come in? The bank
wouldn't give me a service of plate,
with promotion to follow, for that, and
[ should look pretty fool if it turned
out to be false alarm. -
So he took no one into his confidence,
h,1+ ont coboVno
Wednesday came, and with it came
the messenger from Lothbury with the
goId-$50, 000-tied up securely in ten
leather bags He helped Mr.. Foster to
lock them away i'll the SAFE on the in
adequacy of which he commented over
a glass of sherry and cigarette.
''I'm glad you noticed it, the man
ager replied. you'll support my ap-
plication for better one. In the mean
time, however, I've got this.
He brought the six shooter out of the
drawer of the desk and showed that it
was loaded
Mr. Foster meditated till dinner
time He meditated over his chop and
bread and cheese. He went on meditat-
ing over his whisky and water after
ward
"Gold-yes, there is enough gold
there to stir any mans oupidity-the
more especially as gold can't be traced.
If any burglar knows about those SOW
ereigns, that burglar will turn up to-
night
Accidents will happen. Burglars
aren't over scrupulous Sometimes they
work with six shooters, sometimes witt
,hloroSorm pads They might happen
TO overpower me, ana then they would
not have much difficulty with the safe,
Perhaps for the moment the safe ism t
really the best place to keep those bags
of gold In. "
He thought that matter out. The
problem was delicate one. Supposing
the gold to be stolen, then, if by any
accident it could be proved that it had
been stolen from any place except the
safe, clearly it would be very serious
matter for him.
So midnight arrived before Mr.. Fos-
ter, who had in the meantime been to
his bedroom to put on his dressing gown
and slippers, made up his mind what
to do.
"By Jovei l have it'll" he exclaimed
at last. Hanged if those beautiful
jerry builders haven't left plank loose
in the floor The very thingl''
Working as quietly as if he had been
a burglar himself, he stripped back a
bit of the felting, lifted the loose plank
and slipped the ten bags underneath it,
one after the other; then by judioious-
ly driving in little wedges which he
cut from the nrewood be made the
plank tighter than it had been before
and once more fastened the felting neat
ly over it.
"Now, Mr. Burglar. he said, "ev-
erything's ready I'll retire to my hid
ing place and wait for you .
AS the front of the bank faced the
street, there was no probability of bur
glars entering that way They would
come, if they came, over the garden
wall and through the kitchen So Mr.
Foster withdrew into the bank itself
and watched developments in the bank
parlor through a peephole which he had
bored in the door with gimlet
The hours dragged on, trying his pa.
thence sorely 1t must have been be-
tween and 4 in the morning when 6