The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-17
THIEVES WHO ROB
IN GU|SE OF COPS
Bank Burglary Proves Thieves
Have No Honor
STEAL FROM EACH OTHER
Three Cracksmen Loot Safe and Are
Trapped BY Two Others, Who
Appear on the Scene as
Policemen.
STEAL FROM EACH OTHER

From the New York Sun.
Some time ago I saw a story in the
Sun which sought to puncture the err
roneous notion that there is any such
thing as 'squareness among gamblers, "
said detective of extensive experience.
I thought then that 1t was about time
a fall should be taken out of another one
of those bogus maxims-the maxim that
there exists any such a thing as honor
among thieves
II never yet knew crook who wouldn' t
do a fellow crook with as little compunc-
ton as he'd eat plate of ham and eggs
and I'll just run over a story or two
to prove this.
Five or six years ago three Glass A
cracksmen of New York framed up a
promising bank job in Trenton, N. J. The
job went through on creased skids-up TO
a certain point. The craftsmen put the
banks Waterman under the gun when he
stepped to the banks front grating TO
get breath of fresh air; 1t was In the
summer time He had to let them in,
and they had him cordaged up and gagged
before he knew where he was.
THE vault safe was an ordinary COM
bination affair. without any time lock con-
trivanees, and it was easy for experts
with the nitro and the blowpipe They got
her open after an hours work. Then 1t
looked pretty soft for them, for there
was about $4,000 in new currency in plain
sight. They let the metal money alone
and made a leisurely job of dividing the
swag into three equal parts.
THE lookout. or outside man, aban-
doned his post in front of the grating of
the small bank to be in at the division of
the loot. The three cracksmen were sit
ting inside the vault, stuffng the cur
rency into their kicks and planning for
their different hiding places, when two
cops suddenly appeared at the entrance
to the vault and covered the three Of
them 1t was all so sudden that the
hands of the three cracksmen went
straight up.
Locked Up All Night.
"Whie one of the cops kept the three
covered by the gun tanning process, the
other went behind them and defty re-
moved their shooting tools. Then he quite
as deftly distracted their bundles of
swag. This done, March. said one of
the cops to the three disarmed cracks
men. The three were marched to the base
cordaged up. Then the two cops executed
a walking backward stunt still covering
the three cracksmen, got out of the steel
door at the back leading into the alley.
slammed the door, which closed with a
spring lock, and the three craftsmen
were neatly imprisoned.
1.-The imprisoned craftsmen had no tools
and so they couldn't pry their way out.
They united the Waterman and ordered
him to turn them loose, but they had
collared the watchman's keys upstairs
before dragging him to the basement. and
the keys were still upstairs. So the three
cracksmen and the Waterman were found
together in the basement at opening up
time the following morning.
1.-THE cracksmen's story that they them
selves had been stuck up by pair of cops
was secuted. and when the Waterman
chimed in and stated that the story was
true he was Immediately suspected of
being himself in cahoots with the blow