Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29

carrying a valise with the $4,000 took
train for Corning, n. Y; thence
they went to Schenectady. and then to
suspension bridge, where Proctor was ,
waiting for them. The object of tn.s cir I
cuitous journey was to throw anyone of
the trail In case they were followed. At
suspension bridge the three conspirators
met and divided their loot Proctor re-
ceived $4,000 as his share of the booty,
and calmly returned to Susquehanna, and, ,
putting on his overals and working
clothes. resumed his employment in the
boiler shops.
n
Everybody in Susquehanna was talking
about the robbery, and Proctor TAXED az
loudly and as excitedly as any of the
citizens. In the meantime mis- $4,000 was
buried in the fruit jar in the little garden
back of his home. With infinite care, he
buried 1t with the mouth of the Jar down
so that the water could not get into tue
receptacle and spoil the money. Neither
his wife nor his children knew of this
buried treasure. 1t was when he took the
money up and went to Buffalo and began
specializing in OIL that he dug the pit
which was to be his ruin.
Robert Pinkerton was much chagrined
to think that Proctor had been abe to t
hoodwink him in the early part the
complete, he was a professional burglar
with checkered career. Proctor. when /
he began the serious part of his life, was
first-class mechanic and at an early
age became the foreman of the Portland
boiler works. A'he passion for gambling
caused him to lose his position, and in
a few years he had Joined group OF
eastern burglars. acting for them as
filter in opening safes. In the centen-
NAL year. after he was convicted of
safe robbery in Lowell, he was sent to the
Massachusetts state prison at Charleston
for four years. He became organst of the
prison and had unusual privileges. As a
result he became acquainted with Charles
Billiard. fellow-convict, who was serv-
ing a twenty-year term for breaking into
the Boylston Bank. Boston, and together
they conceived a plan to escape. Proctor
made impressions of the cell door keys
and made keys out Of old knives. From
time to time he gathered enough clothes
to be used by himself and Billiard when
their plans of escape had fully ripened.
The clothes In the meantime were deftly
hid in the top of the organ. One event
full night Proctor. Billiard and seven other
long-term convicts escaped. Proctor and
Billiard went to Canada by way of New
York. In Toronto they robbed the ticket
Office of the Grand Trunk Railway Com
pany at Brockville of 5000. A few days
later they robbed another ticket office
near Quebec of 81, 900. After that Proctor
got work in the Toronto safe works. and
salesmanship. When he sold a safe he
arranged the combination, and Billiard
would follow him a little later and rob
the safe. The suspicion of ale safe COM
pany eventually caused his dismissal.
**
On another occasion Proctor attempted
to break Jail, but did not meet with las
usual success. He pried the bars off the
cell door, but when he reached the corri-
dor the sheriff stopped him at the point
of the pistol. AS a result of this he was
sentenced to eight years solitary con-
finement part of this for his original
offense and two years for attempting to
break Jail. A week after this pieces Of
paper were found on the floor of his cell,
bearing the impressions of the key of his
cell door, the corridor door, and the door
leading to the street. 1t was after he
had served this sentence that he went to
Susquehanna and lived as an honest man
until the opportunity came for him to
take part in the great safe-robbery.
The king of Burglars" as Proctor was
called, was given long sentence for the
Susquehanna express robbery at hard la
Dor in the Eastern penitentiary at Phila-
delphia. His accomplices. as far as
known, were never captured
(Next week: Inspector Sweeney and
the Stolen Gems."D