The St. Johns herald., 1901-03-16
! HOW the Bank Has Robbed
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HERE is the mystery of great
 crime solved at last. In May, 1888. the sum of s40,o00 in mutilated currency disappeared from the sat- Shel in which it was being trans ported from the American Exchange national bank. New York, to the treas ury at Washington.
 John H. Wallsinshaw, who played an important part in the robbery, now tells the Sunday World exactly how it was perpetrated.
 In the days when there were horse ears on Broadway Walkinshaw was a driver in the company's service. The conductor Of his car was Edwin D. Crawford, his brother-in-law-
 He was a good-1ooking young man, with pink cheeks and a girlish voice. who paid particular attention 10 the grooming of his hair and finger nails. Ryending more money on the adorn- inent Of his person than his wages of two dollars a day warranted, be swelled his income by knocking down" fares that is, neglecting 10 ring them up.
 This made it desirable to secure as many passengers as possible. The driver could bring this about by talk ing more headway 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- dmctor had made q valuab bie friend-a rich and influential young New York CT, who often rode on his car. This individual procured him situation as messenger in the American Ex- change national bank, and the Broad way railroad was relieved of a dis honest conductor.
 On May 1, 1888. the bank had S40,- 900 in bills sufficiently well worn to be exchanged at the treasury for new currency. In the ordinary course of business they were made mp 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 neat package, sealed it. aurtersigned it. labeled it "$40,- UO0." addressed it United States Treasury, Washington, D. o. and locked it in a leather satchel.
 At three o'clock this satchel was delivered 10 two messengers, to be carried to the office of the Adams Express company One of them was "OlG Man" Earle, who had worked for the bank years, and was known 10 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 ID 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 receipt for it. Shortly afterward they returned 10 he bank.
 X satchel. properly marked ard ad- dressed, reached the treasury in due course. The clerk who opened it and iOok out the package reaAzeil at once, SD accustomed was he to handling bun dies of currency, that there was some thing queer about if, and was care fui not to tear it open until he had ss,=.ssnred the presence of Treasurer iiymans.
 snre enough inc package contained not curre ncy, 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 Jeff the bank ET the hands cf Earle and Crawford Beyond that all was mystery. When had the false rackage been substituted for the orig inaf?
 O.d man Earle was above suspicion. Crawford, his companion, could have done no harm without his llnowl- ed~el Stay! Did he remember that moments separation on the stairs? If he did it had been so brief that he failed to associate t in his mind with ,he mysterious crime.
 But it was 5n thai moment that the deed was done. In this place-al- though other exciting events should come first in chronological order shall be interpolaied Jchn II. Walk inshaw'S confession. made to the Sun day World l2 years after the crime:
 My right name is J3&u H. Wa.kin- shaw worked with Edwin s. Crawford on the Broadway surface road though in another name.
 "Afterward he went 10 work in the American Exchange national bank, and. meeting him on my car one day, he told me if came 10 his house he would give me . suit of clothes.
 Well, | went He gave me the s,ioi hes and also told me that he would give me chance to make some money sn few weeks. Then he came to my boarding house and told me what he>wanted.
 "Cn the afternoon of May 4, 1888, at about four o'clock. I walked into fl.e Adams Express company build i'g carving an empty satchel-or | flnHolf ii NN.aS fars,pfv
 'l had seen Ed and the old man' coming, so 1 walked slowly up the stairs and waited on the first turn. Crawford came up first about ten feet