Bisbee daily review., 1903-05-09
THE WATCHMAN'S
 STORY
Icopyrght. 1906. by c. B. Lewis. ]

Tarkers bank for three years when my
 adventure happened. A burglar alarm eonnectedwlth doors and windows and
 a special wire ran from the bank to the police station. l was required to send tn a signal over this wire every thirty
 minutes. The code of signals ran thus
 One push on the button. 'All is we'll" two pushes, "I am ill;'' three pushes
 Help is wanted at once"
 One winters night. between calls. fell asleep and was awakened by 6 hand clutehins my throat I started
 up to find three men lowering over me and realized that burglars had come at last. The first thing pne of them did was to send in the "All Is well" call, and I was then tied fast to my chair, and the trio began work on the doors of the vault. It was done for in about ten minutes
 Then they began work on the inner doors. They used what is called a blacksmith's drill. All of them seemed familiar with its working, and they had brought along no less than six diff iferent drills for the machine. Work was begun just under the lock. the men spelling each other at intervals of ten minutes. sWhen the o'clock signal was sent in, they had made a very slight impression on the hard metal. but at 2:So the signs were more eneour- aging.
 At o'clock the trio were delighted with the progress of the work. At 3:3o they ceased drilling. blew lot of pow der into the hole and inserted a fuse, and pretty soon there was an explosion which tore great piece out of the door, but did not burst it open
 They did not use the drill again oD the door, but on a closer examination decided to blow it open At 4:40 all was ready. While the leader placed the fuse the other two picked up my chair to carry me into the presidents room. All were to remain there until the explosion was over. Just what happened to oibFfng about the premature explosion could never be learned, but the probabilities are that in his haste the man cut the fuse too short. He was still kneeling at the door and the three of US had our backs to it and were about eight feet away when the mine was sprnng. The jar of the ex- |! plosion was felt two blocks away.
 I cannot remember that heard the [, explosion. I simply remember being lifted up and hurled forward. The next thing knew I was sitting up with 6 hand over each ear. and the room was in midnight darkness. ] felt so stupid and dazed that ii was many minutes before l could place my self. The gag was out of my mouth, and the ropes with which I had been bound to the chair were hanging loose Iy on my arms and legs. When be gan to feel around to see where l was, l discovered that I was close to the wire gate by which all employees en- tered the bank inclosure. The door o1 the vault was almost on a line with 1 this gate, but sixty feet away. Be tween the gate and the vault were the compartments Of bookkeeper, paying teller, receiving teller and discount clerk, each railed of with wood or wire.
 Ton can judge of the strength of that blast rwhen I tell you that everything in that sixty feet was leveled, the small safe blown over and the counters twisted like rail fence. AS soon as ! realized the situation I groped for q match and lighted gas jet. though the room was so full of powder smoke that if was some time before I could see a feot from my nese. When the smoke iifted so that could get about. 1 lighted more gas and then looked for the burglars.
 One of them lay in a heap against the front door. second under the counter near where l had picked my self up, and the third could not find, 1 though l knew he must be under the vault door, which had been blown of and lay on tsie floor. The nan at the 1 front door was stone dead. The doe tors said that bis body mast have swept down all the railings and parti- tions as be was hurled forward. The man under the counter began to show signs of life as overha uled him, and. | thinking be might prove troublesome, l tied him hand and foot. Yoa will | wonder that was not severely slurt. 1 iut that was the chance of accident. 1 The chax was completely wrecked. but ] l got on with three or four painful bruises.
 The man under the counter had ais , nose broken. two ribs fractured and re ceived bad scalp wound. but be bad l no sooner recovered consciousness than l he began to struggle and curse. WbeB ] ] told him that both his partners were l dead. he was awed to silence for awhile 1 Then be began cursing again, and ] 1 stepped over to the police wire and sent l in the signal Help wanted at once" 1t had never been sent in before, nor l have the words gone over that wire | since In five minutes there were four | blueceats knocking at the door. and | when let them in my prisoner greeted | shem with jeers and curses and ssVore | he would get even with me if it took | 100 years.
 e The leader. as told you. was kneel !, ing at the door when the explosion oc- i cured. We found him under it. crush I ed and burned and bearing little sem bIance to a human being. The one who | escaped with his life was sent up for |