Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-22

another charge. brought the attempt TO an
untimely end.
Then matters rested quietly until Jimmy
Hope was liberated from jail at Bangor,
Ne, when he hunted up shevelin and
insisted on making the break at once. They
met several times. and Hope said that he
had the men together to do the trick. but
Il was fully six months after. that before
the robbery was consummated, as they de-
sired 20 test Shevelin's reliability.
Preparing for a Job.
One Sunday Jimmy Hope appeared, and,
after examining the vault, went across the
street and was Joined by another member
Of the gang who was waiting for him, and
the pair took the cars. Three weeks later,
Saturday October 26, the gang met on the
corner of Mulberry and Blocker streets.
They were prepared to do the work, and
had agreed to begin at 8 p. m, but Shev-
elm told them that It would be impossible
for them to start then, as another man
would be on duty in the bank and that he
did not come on until the morning.
At the hour appointed the men gathered
and after leaving some of their number
posted around the building to give warning
entered the jaintor's rooms, and. at the
point OF a pistol forced him TO give up the
keys OF the bank and the combination key
of the safe. They handcuned the janitor
and his wife, and, leaving one of their num-
Der to look after them, the burglars entered
the bank and opened the safe.
After effecting an entrance into the safe
another problem presented itself for the
cracksmen. In the center of the vault was
a long open space where FIVE or six men
could stand single file. on either side of
this space were compartments, which in
reality were separate safes, with heavy
fastenings, bolts. bars and combination
locks. This. then, was the problem pre-
sented for the burglars. or their previous
work would count for naught
With their well appointed kit of tools,
however. they succeeded I'm wrenchng Off
some OF the doors and securing their con-
tents But one compartment, in which was
kept $4,000 in bonds, resisted all their eff
forts 10 pry It open, although the marks
around the frame of the door showed that
they did not give up without a desperate
struggle.
Improbable Securities.
From the fact that the burglars were
forced to leave their expensive tools in the
vault It was surmised that they had been
disturbed in their operations and forced to
fee before they had completed the gut
ting OF the bank. AS is was. they got
away with cash and securities amounting
to $2,7477OO.
About week after the robbery the gang
met and divided the cash, and to the unin-
itiated members 1t was explained that they
would have to walt for an offer from the
bank for the securities before any further
division could be made. This the bank re-
fused to make, and a bill was introduced
into congress providing for its relief by Is
suing duplicate government bonds, Not
withstaIdlng the fact that the robbers or
ganized a corruption fund, and claimed to
he able to defeat the bill. it was passed
Ave days afterward and signed by the
president on February 20.
The New York legislature followed the
lead of the national government and passed
a law which relieved the bank of the state,
county and city bonds and annulled the
value of the originals.
The work of running down the criminals
was an interesting piece of work. and while
It shows with what care the criminals op-
crate and how they plan for months and
months 1t also shows what patient wait
ing and untiring watchfulness can accom-
plish in the unraveling of these seeming
mysteries.
The only clue the police had to go upor
was the tools left in the vault after the
job was completed. Each man OF the force
had his theory of how the work was done
and by whom. Early in the affair Captain
Byrnes came to the conclusion that Jimmy
Hope was implicated In the case, and ar
exhaustive search was made for him, bu
without results.
Tracking the Crooks.
All this time Captain Byrnes had kept hii
eye on Shevelin, the night Waterman Of
the bank, and it was soon found that hi
appeared to have plenty OF money and Wal
spending it quite freely. Investigation re
vealed the fact that before the robbery h,
had been pressed for money and coulC
hardly exc out an existence on the salar!
he was receiving. Detectives were PLACED
on his track and his every movement wal
watched. Soon results became apparent
He was discovered one day talking Will
Billy Kelly. a we'll known criminal. Kell!
was then watched, and It came to ligh
that he had been seen standing on the cor
ner opposite the bank the morning OF tn
break when he should have been at work
and that from the date Of the robbery h
had given up his job and apparent!
changed his whole course of life. havinl
plenty of money and blossoming out int
a full blown sport.
Having discovered. as he thought, q con
nection between the two men, Captain
Byrnes approached Shevelin and accuse
him OF the robbery. This shevelin stoutl
denied, but he was taken to the police sta
ton and subjected to the third degre
without avail. Finally the captain decide
to surprise the secret out of his, and s
said: Don't you know, Shevelin, tina
your pals have played you for a sucker
Now. you possibly didn't get over $500
, out OF that break. and they cleaned u
hundreds OF Thousands"
Shevein was so taken by surprise tina
he blurted out; 80 help me God, captain
l didn't get but 500"
Then. realizing what he had said. h
broke down and confessed the whole pho
! From that followed the arrest of Johnn
!, Hope and Johnny Dobbs for complicit!
Kelly was also taken into custody bu
. nothing that the captain could do woul
4 get him to talk. but on the strength
Shevelins testimony he was convicted an
= | sentenced TO ten years in states prison
This so frightened the others implicate
that they scattered TO different parts
the country, and it was not until an
. tempt was de to negotiate some OF h
: stolen secu lies that more of the gang va
: caught. Coakley and Emerson were a
. rested in Philadelphia.
4 Too Slick 20 Corner.
e All OF the members OF the gang receive