Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-06-21

N decorated old gentleman.
/ blown from its hinges, was nevertheless
/ forced open, its strong bolts swapping
like matches. SO when you see the
great distance that intervenes between
the chamber and that door you will
have some idea of the force Of the ex
plosion.
There is no exit, then, from the
treasure chamber except along this cor
ridorl
mo, madame Tho walls Of the
chamber are of enormous strength, be-
cause, of course, it was expected that
il an attempt at robbery We're ever
made it would he from the outside,
and it is scarcely possible that even the
most expert of thieves could succeed in
passing the two guards at the door.
Is guards and officers along the ccr
rider, two outside the treasury door
and two in the chamber itself. Such a
large number Of soldiers were kept here
so that any attempt at bribery would
be impossible Among such number
one or two were sure to he incorlupti-
BILE and the guards were constantly
changed Seldom was either officer or
man twice on duty here during the
month With such an enormous amount
at stake every preCaution was taken. -
care there any rooms at the right or
left of this corridor in which the thieves
could have concealed themselves while
they fired the mine?''
ono; the corridor leads to the treas
ure chamber alone.
"Then, said Jennie, 81 can't see
how it was possible for number of
men To have made away with the treas
ure in such circumstances as exist
here.
Nevertheless, my dear young lady,
the treasure is gone. We think that
the mine WAS laid with the connivance
of one or more officers on duty here
You see the amount at stake was 80
large that share OF it would tempt
any nine human beings ont of ten. Our
theory is that the train was laid, posi-
bly, electric wires being used which
would be unnoticed along the edge Of
the corridor and that the bribed officer
exploded the dynamite by bringing the
ends of the wire into contact. We
think that the explosion was great
deal more severe than was anticipated.
Probably it was expected that the shock
would break hole from the treasure
chamber to the street, but so strong
were the walls that noatnpression was
made upon them, and a cabman who
was driving past at the time heard not
sound of the explosion, although he
felt a tremble Of the ground and thought
for a moment there had been a shock Of
earthquake.
''You think, then, that the thieves
Were outside:'
That seems the only possible solu-
tion -
THE outside doors were locked and
bolted, of cOurseI'
'Oh, certainly But if they had a
confederate or two in the large hallway
up stairs they would see to it that there
was no trouble about getting in, Once
inside the large hallway, with guards
stunned by the shock, the way to the
treasure chamber was absolutely clear. !"
"There were sentries outside the
building, | supposeY'
Yes
did they see any vehicle standing
or driving near the treasury?
mo; that is the strange part of it,
and, moreover, the sentries, although
pacing outside the walls of this build
ing, heard nothing Of the explosion be-
You'd a low rumble, and those who
thought of the matter at all imagined
an explosion had occurred in some dis
tant part of the city"
"Then the outside doors in the large
hall above were not blown OPEN"
"No; the officer reported that they
were locked and bolted when he exam
ined them, which was some minutes OF
course, after the disaster had taker
place, for he, the officer in charge, had
been thrown down and stunned, seem
ingly by the conclusion Of air which
took place. "
As Jcnsie walked down the corridor
she saw more and more evidence of the
CONFUSION. The thick iron bound door
lay where it had fallen, and it had not
been stirred since it was moved to get
the two men from under it, Its ponder
Dus hinges We're twisted as if they haC
been made of glue, and it's massive
bolts were snapped across like bits OF
glass All along the corridor on the
floor was thick coating of dust anc
debris, finely powdered, growing deeper
and deeper until the entrance to the
room was reached, There were no win
dows either in corridor or chamber, an6
the way was lit by candles held by sol
dlers who accompanied them. The
scoria crunched underfoot as they walk
ed, and in the chamber itself great
heaps Of dust. sand and plaster, all line
ly powdered, lay in the corners of Tho
room and on one side was piled NJ
, higher than man s head, There seem
| ed to be tons of this debris, and as Jen
, ME looked up at the arched ceiling, re-
, sem bling the roof of vaulted dungeon
, she saw that the stone itself had SeeI
ground to tine dust with the tremendous