The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-04
From the Washington Star.

IA York, l happened to visit Jefferson
Market Court, when a seedy, ema-
ciated, palsied old man was 'vagged' by
the magistrate for begging on the streets,
said Patrick Galllgan, the house detective
of a local hotel, who used to live in the
big town. Il hadn't seen this man for
nearly thirty years, but thought recog-
nized him as l saw him leaning on the
rail In front of the magistrates desk,
and when he stepped back, after getting
his thirty-day dose, 1 spoke to him and
found that l wasn't mistaken as to his
Identity. The sight of him took me back
to the days when Boss Tweed was run
ming things in New York, and here's the
story that the sight of that old man re-
called to me:
"One day in the fall of 1874 one of the
most finished and successful bank bur-
glars that ever used drill in this coun-
try won't mention his name, for he's
still alive and reformed-was walking
across Sixth avenue, New York, enjoying
his parole and the mellow 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 adj
ministration at that time. As he swung
along he was accosted by a prosperous
looking man whom he did not know, al
though the prosperous-looking citizen ad-
dressed the burglar by his right name.
The crook, finding after some stalllng
that the man 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
meP he inquired of the stranger.
well 1t appeared that the burglar had
been pointed out to the stranger by de-
tective who was so shady that he after
ward did time for surreptitiously extend
ing aid and comfort to the enemy-one
of the old-time bands of New York crooks
9" All right said the craftsman then
Now. | don't suppose you are seeking my
mountaineering for the sake of being
introduced into society or for the enjoy
ment of my winning ways. What's your
lay?'
Then the stranger up and told the bur-
glar what his graft was
" Tn the cashier of a bank bit up the
state SAID he to the burglar. The direc-
tors don't know anything about it. but
| I'm short in my accounts. There's only
one way out of it. The bank will have
| to be robbed by professional cracksmen.
| That will let me out and, In addition, I'll
berry. I want you to rob the bank You'll
| find $35, 900 in cash in II on the night you
| arrange the job-I'll attend to that OF
course I want my bit out of that-$10 900
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 put
| ting you on to It,
"'This sounds good enough to eat re-
piled the craftsman. who was quite some
more than years of age. and who could
| see a man-trap as far as a thirteen-inch
| gun will shoot. Fact is, It's so sweet that
| it's almost cloying. Now, I've heard your
proposition. You give me 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 IA
| clites were the best, looked into the job.
| He found that his man really was the
cashier of an upstate 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'll have hard nights work. said
the cashier for, In order to avert sus-
picion. 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 l can't get into EN-
| "Then all of the details were arranged
! and the robbery was fixed for certain
| night in the following week. The cashier
was especially solicitious that he should
! get his share of the proceeds of the crib
| cracking. The craftsman assured him
l.t.. oAr
! would be enough for himself and his as
sociates. and the cashier would get the
rest. On the night fixed the craftsman
| and three of his best men went up to
the town and pulled off the job. It was a
matter of four hours before the gang
after overpowering and gagging the
| Waterman, got into the main safe. They
found 1t empty, Then they tackled the
| smaller safes. These. too We're empty
The top-notch cracksman was pretty mad
naturally.
lie had been played for a good thin
and he knew it. The cashier had simply
looted the bank himself and the robbery
which he had arranged was to cover up
his own trail. There have been Napoleons
of finance without number developed from
among bank cashiers, but I never heard
of heater job than that.
"Of course, the craftsman and his pals
had nothing for it hut 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 aft
ernoon papers the lurid accounts of how
the bank had been robbed of cash and
securities 'approximating 100000 in
amount and grind his teeth and cuss
The banks failure was announced a few
days later.
This professional craftsman got nahb-
ed with the goods a couple of months
later, and was sentenced to a three
ar l.an nod 10. ho xxrff1 he do