The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-14

Did you ever hear of the New Yorl
C-bank robbery? No? Well, youl
father will remember. 1t happened
twenty-four years ago. one Sunday
morning in October, 1881. Cash and
securities amounting 10 more than 81
100000 were stolen from the bank
vaults. About $685. 900 in cash was real
lied, the remainder being in securities
among which were thirty United States
gold bonds bearing interest at 4 pei
cent. 1t was the most sensa tional
crime of its kind in police annals
Nothing was heard of the bonds and
by a special act of congress they were
Cancelled and new ones issued. BY the
superhuman efforts of the inspector OF
the New York police four weli-knowr
crooks and a policeman. members OF
the cleverest gang of bank robbers in
the states. were sent to prison for the
crime. But all OF his great ingenuity
was never able to penetrate the rea
mystery and learn who conceived the
daring idea and received the great for
tune comprised in the thirty missing
bonds
IL was Surmised that two OF the
most brilliant crooks that ever raised
a draft or forged a note were head and
tail of the procession. But nothing
could be proved. The five convicted
burglars would not utter an incrimi-
mating word for persuasion or force
Again, though every police department
in the Union was on the alert no trace
could be found of the suspects. One
of them was a man. the other a wO-
man. The former was known to the
police as the Professor" the latter as
the Queen of Sheba," though she was
sometimes called inelegantly "Sheenie
Annie" OF the Professor il had been
openly said that he was a son. born on
the left hand, of one Of the crowned
heads OF Europe; a Heidelberg and Ok
ford graduate. with the right to put
any part of the alphabet after his name
If he so desired. The woman was a
product of the New York ghetto; beau
tiful to a fault, with the superhuman
sharpness of the street combined with
natural genius and a brilliant person
ality. Together they were as cold
blooded and Machiavellian a PROPOSE
tion as ever came down the Great
White Way. A dirty hand in a dirty
glove.
At the time OF the C bank rob-
berry | had been one year in the United
States secret service. I had learned
the initial ropes perfectly, and, OF
an inordinate interest in the case that
had started the whole country shout
ing. But, as say, though the govern
ment's best men were scattered all over
the world. not a trace was discovered
Of either the Professor" or the Queen
of Sheba" nor one of the thirty United
states gold bonds. They seemed TO
have completely evaporated. 1t was not
until fifteen years later that Uncle
Sam at last got on the track of the
missing securities and the clue to the
mystery. And 1. Captain John Smith,
then in charge of the New York dis
vice. had the honor to be collector for
the long defrauded government.
1t was on a drizzling Monday morn
ing. I'm late September. 1896, that a mes
senger from the A. bank hurried
into my office on Nassau street
touched his cap and said:
Captain Smith. acting assistant
treasurer, Mr.. Morey of the sub-treas-
ury sent me round to ask you if you
viii kindly see him at once. He says
it's very important"
Calls from the sub-treasury are i'm
portant and. accompanied by the mes
senger, lost no time in reaching Wall
street.
was ushered into the acting assist
ant treasureT's office. Mr. Morey was
a small man with a face that seemed
all profile and a concise, rapid-fire vo-
Cabulary.
Captain Smith," he began without
any preamble, by a remarkable chance
I have now in my possession one of
those thirty government bonds that
were stolen in the c. bank robbery
fifteen years ago. There it is. A bond
for n Of "a ri OR n
owner, the c. bank has been skill
fully erased with acids and the name
J. Lansing FOwnes substituted"
Half an hour ago." continued Mr..
Morey tersely, this bond was present
ed for verihcation by this messenger
from the A" bank. ] went over the
list Of caveated bonds. United States
consols. series of 1880. From the num-
bers 223I to 1850 were the ones stolen
trom the c" bank This bond is, as
you see, numbered 2254"
What have you done?" I demanded
quickly.
"All I could I phoned the A.
bank to detain the presenter of this
bond. The president. Mr.. Andrews,
said that Mr.. Browning offered it as
collateral with note attached for a
loan OF $4,000. The president agreed
and while believing the security gilt
edged. had the preCaution TO send it
here for verification."
Yes. YES. but the presenter-Mr.
Browning" / asked imperatively.
Mr.. Mercy shrugged his shoulders.
Mr.. Browning had gone before sent
for you. The president said he prom
iSed to"
Before he had finished I had excused
myself and rung up the A. bank on
the telephone.
This is Captain Smith OF the sercet
service" I explained quickly over the
wire TO President Andrews That bond
you sent TO the treasury for Verification
is no good. If Mr.. Browning. the pre-
senter. comes back tell him 1t is o. X,
and that you will advance the loan.