The Penn's Grove record., 1906-10-12
ROBBINGAB BANK SAFE
THE EXPERIENCE OF AN OLD TIME
EXPERT CRACKSMAN.

ttt. 1Nu nv S60
EXPERT CRACkSMAN.
Did 1t Well, but the Reward Was
Not What Had Been Promised by
His INSCRIPTIONS Employer.
zone day in the fall of 1874" said an
old retired detective, lone of the most
finished and successful bank burglars
that ever used a drill In this country
was walking across Sixth avenue, New
York, enjoying his parole and the mel
low sunshine. There were a whole lot
of indictments hanging over him, of
course, but they didn't worry him any,
for he happened to be on pretty fair
terms with some Of the men attached
to the municipal administration at that
time. AS he swung along he was ac-
costed by a prosperous looking man
whom he did not know, although the
prosperous looking citizen addressed
the burglar by his right name. The
crook, finding after some stalling that
the nan who knew his name wasn't a
detective, took him into a cafe and
asked him some things.
"In the first place, how did you
know meY he inquired Of the stranger.
"Well, it appeared that the burglar
had been pointed out to the stranger
by a detective who was so shady that
he afterward did time for surreptitious-
ly extending aid and comfort to the en-
envy, one Of the old time bands of New
York crooks.
".All right said the craftsman then.
Now, 1 don't suppose you are seeking
my acquaintanceship for the sake Of
being introduced into society or for
the enjoyment Of my winning ways.
What's your GyP
"Then the stranger up and told the
burglar what his graft was.
"Tm the cashier of a bank a bit up
the state said he to the burglar. The
directors don't know anything about
it, but I'm short In my accounts.
There's only one way out Of 1t. The
bank will have to be robbed by profess
sional craftsmen. That will let me
out, and in addition I'll expect to get
my rakeoff from the robbery. I want
you to rob the bank. You'll find $780,
600 in cash In 1t on the night you ar
range the job. I'll attend to that. OF
course 1 want my bit out Of that, $10,-
600 at least. I've always heard that
you're square in these divisions Of
plumber, and therefore I'll trust you to
hand me my share after you've done
the job for putting you on to it.
""This sounds good enough to eat
replied the craftsman. Fact is, it's so
sweet that it's almost cloying. Now,
I've heard your proposition. You give
me a couple of days to investigate you,
and then we'll talk business
""They arranged another meeting at
the same place a couple Of days later.
and in the meantime the craftsman,
whose facilities were the best, looked
into the job. He found that his man
really was the cashier Of an up state
bank in a town not more than an
hours run from New York. So when
the cashier called at the appointed
time the burglar was ready to talk
business.
"'You'l have a hard nights work.
said the cashier, for in order to avert
suspicion I'll have to leave the vaults
and safes locked tighter'n a drum, as
usual. You'll need several assistants
"That's my end Of it, replied the
craftsman. You just let me handle
those little details. Every man to his
trade. They don't make 'em so strong
that 1 can't get into EN-
"Then all of the details were ar
ranged, and the robbery was fixed for
a certain night in the following week.
The cashier vas especially solicitous
that he should get his share Of the
proceeds of the crib cracking. The
craftsman assured him that II there
was $4,000 in the job $4,000 would
be enough for himself and his associ-
ates and the cashier would get the
rest. On the night fixed the cracks
up to the town and pulled off the job.
1t was "a matter of four hours before
the gang after overpowering and gag
ging the Waterman got into the main
safe. They found it empty. Then they
tackled the smaller safes. These, too,
were empty. The top notch craftsman
was pretty mad, naturally.
HE had been played for a good
thing, and he knew it. The cashier
had simply looted the bank himself,
and the robbery which he had arrang-
ed was to cover up his own trail.
There have been Napoleons Of finance
without number developed from among
bank cashiers. but l never heard Of a
neater job than that.
"Of course the craftsman and his
pals had nothing for it but to pack
their kits and drill back to New York.
They weren't, of course, in a position to
say anything about how they'd been
done. The top notch craftsman had
to read in the afternoon papers the
lurid accounts of how the bank had
been robbed of cash and securities 'ap-
proximating 100000 In amount and
grind his teeth and cuss. The banks
failure was announced a few days
later.
"The cashier? Oh, within a dozen
years he died a beggar on the streets
of New York"