The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-11-09
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+ How the Bank Was Robbed I
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ported from the American Exchange
national bank, New York, to the treas
ury at Washington.
John II. Walkinshaw, who played
All important part in the robbery, now
tells the Sunday World exactly how
i, was perpetrated.
In the days when there were horse
cars on Broadway Walknshaw was {
driver in the company's service. TIL,
conductor of his car was Edwin S
Crawford, his brother-in-law.
He was a good-looking young man
with pink cheeks and a girlish voice
who paid particular attention to the
grooming of his hair and finger nails
Spending more money on the adorn
ment of his person than his wages o.
two dollars a day warranted, h
swelled . his income by knocking
down" fares - that is, neglecting tt
ring them up.
This made it desirable to secure al
many passengers as possible. The
driver could bring this about by talk
ing more Roadway than he was en-
titled to and making up for lost time
toward the end of the trip. Craw
ford squared" the driver
Meanwhile the spick-and-span con
ductor had made valuable friend-a
rich and influential young New York
er, who often rode on his car. This
individual procured him situation
as messenger in the American. Elk.
change national bank, and the Broad.
honest conductor.
On May a, 1888, the bank had $40,-
0CO in bills sufficiently well worn to
be exchanged at the treasury for new
currency. In the ordinary course of
business they were made up in pack
age to be expressed to Washington.
This was the work of the paying
teller, Mr.. Watson. He counted the
money with his usual care, and for
some little time it lay on his desk
in plain sight of four clerks, who aft
erWard sWore to the circumstances.
Mr.. Watson with his own hands tied
up the bills in a neat package sealed
tGA." addressed it UNITED States
Treasury. Washington, d. c." and
locked it in a leather satchel.
AT three o'clock this satchel was
delivered to two messengers, to be
carried to the office of the Adams
Express company. One of them was
"OlO Man" Earle, who had worked
fer the bank years, and was known
to be as true as steel The other was
Edwin S. Crawford.
Followed at little distance, accord
Ing to custom, by the bank detective,
the old and the young man thread
ed Broadway to the express Of
flee. carrying the satchel between
them.
Together they started up the stairs,
but Earle, who was little out of
breath, fell behind few steps. Or
perhaps Crawford, who was carrying
the satchel, was in hurry.
They joined company again after
passing the first turn, where the
stairs were dark, and thereafter
until it was delivered to the proper
officials of the express company, who
gave them a receipt for It. Shortly
afterward they returned to the bank.
A satchel, properly marked and adj
dressed, reached the treasury in due
course. The clerk who opened it and
took out the package realized at once,
so accustomed was he to handling bun
dies of currency, that there was some
thing queer about it, and was care
full not to tear it open until he had |
procured the presence of Treasurer
Hymans
Sure enough the package contained |
not currency, but bundle of wrap
ping paper cut to greenback size
One thing was clear from the out
set, and that was that the money had
surely left the bank in the hands of
Earle and Crawford. Beyond that all
was mystery. When had the false
package been substituted for the orig
inal?
Old man Earle was above suspicion. |
Crawford, his companion, could have
done no harm without his knowl-
edge! Stay! Did he remember that |
moments separation on the stairs? If |
he did it had been SO brief that he
failed to associate it in his mind with
the mysterious crime.
But it was in that moment that the
deed was done. In this place-a1-
though other exciting events should
come first in chronological order
shall be interpolated John Fl.
inshaw's confession, made to- Walk
day World 10 years after the Sum
MY right name is the crime:
shaw. worke, Johr H. Walk, J.
Crawford on : :. with Edwin S.
road, thor The Broadway SIR face
AIT .gh in another name.
AT srward he went to worl- in the
.erican Exchange national bank,
and. meeting him on my car one day,
he told me if 1 came to his house he
would give me suit of clothes.
We'll, / went. He gave me the
clothes and also told me that he would
give me chance to make some money
in a few weeks. Then he came te
my boarding house and told me what
he wanted.
ION the afternoon of May A, 1888
at about four o'clock, I walked int
the Adams Express company build
ing carrying. an empty satchel-or
thought it was empty.
II had seen Ed and the old man
coming. so walked slowly up tn
stairs and waited on the first TURF
Crawford came up first about ten fee
ahead of the ..old man. and as h
reached the steps ahead of me W
changed satchels in a second.
II walked on up and when reache
the top step turned slowly back. and