Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-02-22
OUTWITTEDA ROBBER
HOW A BANK CASHIER MADE A
4 FORTUNE.

FORTUNE.
Eursd the Crook Into . Trap and
Covered Up His Own Guilt - A
Detective's Remarkable and Thrillin:
Tale. a
II happened to be in the Jefferson
Market court while back said a vet
eran New York detective, when a
seedy, emaciated, palsied old man was
'vagged' by the magistrate for begging
on the streets. l hadn't seen this man
for nearly thirty years, but l thought
recognized him as he stood leaning
on the rail in front of the magistrates
desk, and when he stepped back, after
getting his 30-day dose, spoke to him
and found that 1 wasn't mistaken in
his identity. The sight of him took
me back to the days when Boss Tweed
was it in this town, and when the
situation was that police officials had
a good deal more intimate knowledge
of the doings of professional criminals
than they have nowadays. Here's the
story that the old man related to me-:
Zone day in the fall of 1870 one of
the most finished and successful bank
burglars who ever worked a drill in
this country won't mention his
name, for he's still alive, and he took
brace years ago, after doing his last
bit-was walking along Sixth avenue
Avn ho
sunshine. There were a whole lot of
indictments hanging over him, of
course, but they didn't worry him any,
for he happened to be on pretty fair
terms with some of the men attached
to the municipal administration at
that time. AS he swung along he was
.accosted by prosperous looking man
he did not know, although the pros
porous looking citizen addressed him
by his proper name. The crook took
the stranger into cafe and asked him
things.
"'In the first place, how did you
know me?' he inquired of the
stranger.
tWell, 1t appeared that the burglar
had been pointed out to the stranger
by detective who was so shady that
he afterwards did time for surrepti-
tiously extending aid and comfort to
the enemy-one of the old-time bands
of New York crooks.
"'Well,' said the top-notch cracks
man to the stranger, .: don't suppose
you're seeking my acquaintanceship
for the sake of being introduced into
society or for the enjoyment of my
winning ways. What's your lay?'
"Then the stranger up and told him
what his graft was.
"I'm the cashier of bank bit up
the state said he to the burglar. The
directors don't know anything about it.,
but I'm short in my accounts. There's
only one way out of it. The bank'll
have to be robbed by professional
cracksmen. That will let me out, and
in addition, I'll get my rake-of from
the robbery. want you to rob the
bank. You'll find S35 900 in cash in it
on the night you arrange the job-Tll
attend to that. OF course want my bit
out of that-$1O, 900 at least. I've al
ways heard that you were square on
these divisions of plumber, and there
fore III trust you to hand me my share
after you've done the job for putting
you onto it,
"'That sounds good enough to eat
replied the cracksman, who was quite
some more than years of age, and
who could see man-trap as far as a
13-inch gun1l shoot. Fact is, it's so
sweet that I'm almost cloying. Now
I've heard your proposition. You give
me couple of days to investigate you
and then we'll talk business
"They appointed another meeting at
the same place couple of days later,
and in the meantime the craftsman.
whose facilities We're excellent, looked
into the job. He found that his man
really was the cashier of a prominent
upstate bank, in town not more
than an hours run from New York.
So when the cashier called at the ap-
pointed time he was ready to talk
business.
"'You'll have hard nights work.
Sdlu Lu6 CdSulSl, LII Ill OIucI IL avert
suspicion I'll have to leave the vaults
and safes all locked up tighter'n a
drum as usual. You'll need several
assistants
"'That's my end of it, replied the
craftsman. You just pass those little
details up to me. Every man to his
trade. They don't make 'em so strong
that I can't get into 'em.'
"Then all the details were arranged
and the robbery was fixed for certain
night in the following week. The cash
Ter was especially solicitous that he
should get his share Of the proceeds of
the crib-cracking. The craftsman as
sured him that if there were $35, 900 in
the job $4,000 would be enough for
himself and his assistants, and the
cashier would get the rest. On the
night fixed the craftsman and three
of his best men went up to the town
and pulled off the job. 1t was mat
ter Of four hours before the gang,
after overpowering an bucking and