Newport weekly independent., 1901-11-22

which $12,00O in Arkansas pearls, $2,500 in cash, and $1,500 in county and town warrants were secured, and that the mysterious disappearance of the robbers is as far from being so]v- ed as the day following the robbery.
 The robbery was bold and daring in the extreme and bristles with bizarre details that put it on a par with the most brilliant deeds exploited in the average dime novel,
 The robbery was committed about 3 o'clock in the morning and was the work of expert cracksmen. There were evidently some four or five per- sons connected with the job, and while at least two of the number must have been experts, there are circum- stances indicating that the others of the gang were local talent
 The time lock of the safe was com- pletely demolished and the full con- tents secured. A few dollars in small coins was found scattered about the AiOOA VI Ul1S OItI1NluSo3 OuU dll Ol UuC pd- pers within the money chest were carried off. The safe was opened with two charges of nitro -glycerine, the first blowing the outer or time lock door several feet from the safe and wrecking the counters and rail- ings in the bank. The second charge tore off the door to the money chest, where the pearls and cash were kept. The explosions occurred about ten minutes spart.
 The bank building was completed about the first of the year and the vault has been so slow about drying out that the time lock safe was not placed within it for fear that the dampness might rust and spoil the delicate mechanism of the lock. It sat near the front of the building behind the cashiers railing. The front of the bank was fitted with plate glass win dows with small iron bars fastened horizontally across them. Entrance was gained by saving in two three of the bars and breaking the window.
 The burglars went about their work with every preparation made for sue cessfully pulling off the job. They had sentinels stationed both in the front and rear of the building, and outposts as well, while two made an entrance and cracked the safe.
 The first charge made terrible re- port and awoke people all over the town, but, strange to say, it failed to disturb young lawyer named Burns, who slept in the second story of the building immediately over the bank. Although a number of persons were awakened by the explosion few real ized it's significance and gave it little heed.
 FORGE OF THE EXPLOSION.
 Adjoining the bank on the west is grocery and confectionery store run by Owen Angle, the rear of which is used as dwelling. The force of the explosive hurled the heavy safe against the dividing wall, which is of brick, with such force that the shape of the safe was cut into the wall and the brick and mortar for some two inches in depth was crushed and pull verized into powder. A few of the bricks in the tie courses were pushed half way through into Angles store. The terrific report and the falling bricks awakened Angle, and he real ized at once what was going on in the bank. He had no arms of any kind in his store, but in his night clothes crept to the front of the store and peeped out into the darkness. He saw dark forms passing in front of the buildingNand through the crack in the brick wall made by the impact of the safe he could hear the robbers talking and laughing in the bank. He saw that it was out of the question to slip out of the front of the building to give the alarm and decided to try the rear.
 In this direction he seemed more fortunate and was well out into the yard when a rock came whizzing by his head and harsh voice cursed him and threatened to kill him unless he went back into the building and gave