The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-10-11

lie DrOpG1 TO Dg q most ODSCQut0uS, ntyn-
IN decorated old gentleman.
has been found. The door, one Of the
strongest that can be made, somewhat
similar to the door Of safe, was flung
outward and crushed to the floor the
two guards who stood outside it in the
corridor. Between the chamber in
which the chest lay and the outside en-
trance were 16 men on guard. Every
one Of those was thrown down, for the
blast. if may call it 80, Travelled along
this straight corridor like the charge
along the inside of a gun barrel. The
guards nearest the treasure chamber
were, of course the more seriously in
jured, but those farther out did not
escape the shock, and the door by which
we entered this corridor, while not
blown from it's 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
ridor ?"
"No madame. The walls Of the
chamber are Of enormous strength, be-
cause. of course, it was expected that
if an attempt at robbery were ever
made it would be 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,
18 guards and officers along the cor
ridor, two outside the treasury door
and two in the chamber itself Such a
large number Of soldiers were kept here
80 that any attempt at bribery would
be impossible. Among such number
one or two We're sure to be incorrupti-
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 OF
left of this corridor in which the thieves
could have concealed themselves while
they fired the minef
mo; the corridor leads to the treas
ure chamber alone.
"Then," said Jennie ~ can't see
how 1t was possible for number OF
men to have made away with the treas
ure In such circumstances as exis,
here"
Nevertheless, my dear young lady
the treasure is gone. We think tha
the mine was laid with the connivanc,
of one or more officers on duty here
You see, the amount at stake was 81
large that a share Of it would temp
any nine human beings ont of ten. Oul
theory is that the train was laid, posi-
bly, electric wires being used, which
would be unnoticed along the edge O
the corridor and that the bribed Office
exploded the dynamite by bringing tn
ends of the wire into contact w
think that the explosion was a grea
deal more severe than was anticipated
Probably it was expected that the shoe
would break hole from the treasur
chamber to the street, but 30 stron
. were the walls that no impression wa
made upon them, and a cabman VIII
was driving past at the time heard nc
a sound of the explosion, although h
felt tremble Of the ground and though
D for a moment there had been shock {
earthquake.
"You think. then. that the thieve
o were outsidef' t., ..rr
"That seems the only possible solI
9 tion ...,.-.. .r...
. 1.-The outside doors were locked an
q bolted, of coursef'
d "Oh, certainly But il they had
s confederate or two in the large hallws
q up stairs they would see to it that thel
was no trouble about getting in. On'
Q inside the large hallway, with guart
II stunned by the shock. the way TO Il
% treasure chamber was absolutely clear.
e "There were sentries outside u
building, j supposed"
u yes"