Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-06-19
BANK SWINDLERS
AND THEIR WORK
Noted Crook Writes Book
on Methods of Fine
Craft

sentenced hiInS6lL TO Two WEEKS iIoL~
est labor five months ago, at the close
of his last penitentiary term, has
come to the aid of the police and
bank officials by describing in detail
the work of the bank sneak.
A special bankers edition of a
small book entitled How the Bank
Sneak Works was issued recently. 1t
chronicles the adventures of the
"Swindler'' in the more important jobs
of his career as a sneak, which began
when he was 20 years old, and which
he followed consistently during the
periods when he was not locked UP in
penitentiaries. He is 53 years old now.
The book starts with telling of a
meeting of four clever bank thieves in
Chicago to frame up a big job.
Bank thieves" the book says, "have
always in mind the location of weak
bank. The sneak first ascertains,
however, whether the bank belongs to
| the American Bankers association. If
it does and the thieves are wise. they
give it wide berth.
Sizing Up the Bank.
TN sizing up a bank, the thief is
always on hand Saturday, for that is
payroll day. Monday he will be equal
ly alert, for it is depositors' day. Dur
ing banking hours the thief goes from
one bank to another. He never loiters.
His manner is brisk and energetic. He
behaves as if he we're business man
and his reputation were assured be-
yond question. He looks as far from
thief as can be imagined. His eye
however, takes in every minute detail
looking for the weak sept. The next
step is trailing the messenger of the
picked bank. After this the habits Of
the bank employees are watched and
the detailed plan of attack laid"
The details Of how Pittsburg bank
was robbed of $4,000 by a mob of
four men, of which the "Swindler''
was one, furnish an excellent illustra-
ton for bankers to keep in mind.
The men working with the "Swind-
ler'' were Jimmy Carroll, the captain;
Tom Bigelow, an English bank stall,
and Watt Jones. They met in Wind
sor. Canada, and picked out the Pitts
burg institution. The "Swindler" took
the preliminary job. For six days, for
six hours he stood in an Office building
overlooking the bank rooms and
watched. He noted every movement
Of the employees. When he reported
he could tell what the situation in the
bank would be at any minute of the
day.
There were seven men to be dispos-
ed of in the job, and Captain Carroll
figured out the way to do it. The
"Swindler'' was disguised as a IL
year-old boy. He secured permit Il
! establish an apple stall near the bani
steps, and thus familiarize himself II
: all employees. He often went into tht
bank on little errands. All the sever
3 men were Swallowed by the crooks ant
I their personal habits and their rela.
} tives looked up in detail,
) Doing the Job.
! They picked out o'clock in thu
afternoon on a certain day to do thu
! job. That was the hour when thu
D president was doing in his Office.
A bogus note informed tha teile
that his mother had received a serious
injury. Carroll, as a prospective in
weston, had communicated with tw,
directors and arranged a meeting in I
cafe for that hour. The receiving tel
Ter was called to the curb to attent
to an injured capitalist who drove al
in a carriage and had an estate t.
talk over. The restless horses detain
ed the teller some. A workman clat
in overalls-it was watts-came ii
and said the landlord had ordered hin
to fix a window. He drew the atten
ton of the two clerks. The payin
teller held the tape for the workman
- While the attention of all was draw
away from the money the apple ven
der on the steps slipped into tn
clerks Office and quickly put $500
into sack Then the coils were un
h wound naturally. and two hours late
the robbery was discovered.
= After describing bow a bank at Sa
Jose, Cal, was robbed of $4,000. no.
n jewelry store in Cincinnati an
a banks In various other cities wei
y looted. SCHNEIDER tells of his exper
"a ences in Chicago. One of these was tt
theft of $4,000 from the ONCE of
board of trade broker through whit
the cashier of the firm thought was
practical joke. Another was "tailini
a bank messenger and substituting
fake bundle for the real one at Il
:. bank counter, where the "Swindle
y stood In line behind, the messenger.