The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
LAVERY'S BANK ROBBERY.
SH0r DOWN PROFESSIONAL ROBBERS
WHILE STEALING HIMSELF.
A Mans Downward Career Checked by Crooks
At Q Most CriminaI Moment Instead OF He
. coming q Thief He Became q Hero-Ne'er
D was Dishonest Again-A Detectives story.

Wss Dishonest Again-A Detectives stor,
The old detective stood ut the corner OF Broad
and Wall streets talking with a friend. when q
Notwithstanding old man came along Inc
old detective touched his hand TO his hat as tht
elderly man passed. and the latter returned the
eslutation. The old detective watched him
disappear around the corner Of Nassau street
with a curious smile on his face. He didnt stop
smiling until the mar was out OF sight Then
he turned 10 his friend and remarked
There never was a better illustration of the
old saying that truth is stranger than h'hon
than the history of that man. There Is "A man
who Ia highly respected by all who know him.
He is a model Of honesty and integrity. and II
sny man minated that he had ever done any
thing dishonest he would be laughed at Yet
the basis of that mans fortune was an act that
would have sent him to prison for twenty years
II II had ever been known | know the story
from the only other man in the kSo,l Id who ever
knew the truth Of the affair, andkn all my life
never heard Of anything to equal H. DO No'i
happen to know that mani"
Never saw him in my life. and wouldn't know
him n | met him Ave minutes from now. re-
marked the old detective friend, who was wise
IN his day and generation.
Good" said the old detective. Then Ill
tell you the story. | won't mention the time.
the place or the real names, for ] would not want
YOU to identify those who played a part in this
affair. IN call the old gentleman who lust
passed Iavery, because that isn't his name.
and In about as far from il rs any ] can think or
Just now. Well. twenty years ago l.avery
worked in n bank in Kings Kings isn't on the
map so far as | know. but the place where l.avery
worked was, and L. Nevertheless, we'll call
the place Kings Isvery was n product of
Kings His father wa n poor hut much-re-
spected clergyman. He was a pretty fine preach
or. and | believe had lot Of hiEh-Salaried calls
from time Ia time, but he was one of those fell
lows who thought his field Of labor was right
whore he was. and for whom money had It'll"
attraction, Iavery was brought M In Kings.
and his father made a good lob OF II. lie was
the model young man Of the town. lie vas no
nambv-pamby boy, and any one who tried 10
come II over him found himself up against 4 Stif
proposition when he went too far. laverv was
the best swimmer. the best boxer and the
best all-round athlete in Kings, yet, withal, he
vssa church boy, never smoking or drinking.
gambling or using bad language, and always
attending sunday school and PRAYER meetings.
He was pointed 10 ~ tho coming man Of King.
and the town was proud of him.
There was nothing remarkable" in the fact
that when n vacancy occurred il tho First
National Bank of Kings, lavory was called 10
the place. Right here his career began No
body in town was Jealous of his good fortune.
no one thought of being, for tho whole town
sort of regarded II ne Iavcry's right TO get tho
first good thing that came along Now the
Job that laNcry took was not very remunera-
tive, tie only Got 81 a week. and his work was
of the most mental kind, running errands and
doing office work, from early morning until
quite late in the evening sometimes say
II wasn't the job, 80 much "a the opportunity
that II gave Lavery tn rise, that made II n good
for him We'll, Iavery honed in like a
good fellow, He was inst the sort Of n fellow
TO dig in and get on 10 things. He fairly thirsted
for knowledge and | verify believe that he would
have made a go out Of n peanut stand, II his
had started him in that line.
Careers in banks are not Of the meteoric \
order, hut Iavery certainly established n pre-
cedent in this regard. He didn't have to wait
for people over him TO die, in order 10 get ahead.
He crowded the men over him out, and when
he was only 30 years old was cashier Of the Ma
Bank Of Kings. ~ n salary # 5000 n
year, which was quite \ good deal, even for n
bank of1cial, in a small town like King. Law
had married the sweetest little girl in the
in The meantime, and had duplicated her
another lttle -irl, who was his pride and
JOY He vas the happiest man in that town. |
and with his home, his wife and his baby, he
had every reason to no. lie had n little monar |
saved NJ and n fine fat place that no man liv-
ing could get away from him, as long as he be- |
haved himself
Vow, I've had n great deal Of experience with
and ] have studied their ways and the
that lead them TO lives of crime with
great care, but this man Lavery was a mystery
that ! never could solve, Here was a man who
had never done n dishonest act in his life. who
had nothing to gain, and everything 10 lose hy
dishonesty, and yet carefully planned oUt a rob
berry Of the bank with which he had been con-
nected since childhood, and the officers Of which
him implicitly. Don't ask me why he
did II. ] do not know. and no one else knows.
tie had never speculated or gambled, had a good
home all paid for, 4 loving wife, u baby and "A
fat surplus At the bank. II you want TO know
my real opinion Of the matter, ! viii tell Won
that ] think lavery was crazy clean crazy.
and yet in possession Of all the faculties tha,
enable q man to plan and carry out some grca,
enterprise
"Lavery didn't. jugglc his books or monkey
with any other mans accounts. If he had I
wouldn't have had this story To tell. He would
then have been an ordinary everyday felon,
and would b. wearing n number in Some prison. !
that was not lavery's game, With all the
cunning Of an experienced thief, he rlanned TO
rob the bank OF all III" money in the vaults,
and then lust drnp OUT OF, sight What might
have been the %stiffest kind Of n job for a band
OF experienced cracksmen, would be- easy for
Iavery. because he and the President we're the
only ones VINO had the secret Of the great locks
10 the vault, and they were the only ones who
ever stayed AT their desks alone late into the
night, II the bookkeeper or any of the others
stayed late, some one stayed with them II
was an old rule IN the bank and the only ones
ever exempted from il were the cashier and the
IN was nothing unusual for Iavery to STAY
late at tho bank, He was the kind Of a man 10
work constantly. and the old Waterman knew
him 80 well that nothing that he might do would
l.avery knew this and he LAID his plans accord
lngl,. He made arrangements 10 get our of
town on. an early morning train, and had q
most elaborate plan for his wife 10 follow him
his confidence, II he had. the thing would
never have come on She would have brought
MN 10 his senses with a round turn. Asit was,
Lavery went on dreaming OF a South Sea ISLAND
far from The clutches of the law with
every luxury that nature could provide II
the dream OF a crazy man, but ~ said a
while ago. am convinced that I.avery VA,
crazy Well there was "A lot Of in,rrestinr de-.
tai, which ~ omit just now. So n to gel down
to the meat OF the story The night came when
l.avery made up his mind that the best chance
possible, offered for the plundering of the bank.
~ the great vaults were som s2WOOD every
io!lar Of which was within easy reach of th.
trusted hand Of avery. OF this amount over
4 half was In such shape that the man could
AIRY IL on with ease.
"Iaver, spent that daN M hi, desk work.
ne about a: usual After baking hours hc
got the clerks around him and straightrurd
'hIneS out Then he closed his desk walked
MO inc oilicc OF The Prc~d'ut. announced Thai
ne vas gong out for some luncheon, bur would
We back and would remain at the bank late