Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-06-29
KEYS OF THE BANK.

vain, and inordinately proud of his ex-
ploits. | fancy that at the time this
weakness and an absolute indifference to
truth led him to exaggerate. l had no
means at hand of testing his accuracy,
so that | had to take his word for every
thing he confded to me. ] had, of
course, no opportunity whatever of MAX
ing notes on paper, and / have to rely
entirely on a fairly retentive memory.
Doubtless Hollis revelations are, in the
main, correct, but it is quite possible
that discrepancies may exist. For these
discrepancies /, of course, am not respon-
sible. | am not relating these remark
able events of my own knowledge, l am
relating what Holt told me.
For a long time | had not seen Shin
burn" said Holt Il have mentioned be-
fore that he was a lover of art, and it
occurred to me that as ne was a pretty
regular visitor at Christie's auction room
| might run against him there; and so
did. He knew at once that / had
something to say, and he spoke to me in
a patronizing way.
81 can't stay till the end of the sale,
Smythson,' he said, but j want lot LOG.
What do you think it'll fetchY
Then in low tone he added:
"a Scotland Yard man is here, but
we needn't mind him so long as you keep
up the game. What's amiss?'
Il told him | had discovered / was be-
ing shadowed. Then he said:
YOU'D better clear out of London.
Go to Sheffield I've got notion of
working a country bank. Stay at the
old place in Fargate. I'll come there
"Of course, | had to keep up my char
acter as tout, and stay until lot LOG
was put up. Shinburn threaded his way
toward the door, where to my dismay /
saw the tee stop him, and the two ex-
change a few words, the officer casting
his eye in my direction. Shinburn then
quilted the auction room, leaving me de-
cidedly uneasy,
at was only after Shinburn called on
me at Sheffield that l learned what had
taken place between him and the detec-
tive. The latter had thought it his duty
TO warn Shinburn that 1 was a suspected
character. and actually asked him wheth-
IL everything in his pocket was safe.
'The plan he had formed involved
making the acquaintance of responsible
bank officials. This would be almost an
impossibility in London, but in a coun-
try town quite feasible. After much de-
liberation we determined to experiment
at north country town-Humbersto
let us call it.
ut was October when we took up our
residence, and in March in the following
wear when we brought the thing off, so
you see we didn't hurry. Shinburn
made himself up as pleasant elderly
gentleman with silvery hair. His game
was to make himself acquainted with the
internal management of the bank, the
routine of business and duties, and es-
pecially who kept the keys of the safe;
-a4itNwas to shadow continually the
leading officials and find out their habits
and tastes.
'Shinburn, who passed under the name
of Vernon, paid in $500, and as a GUS
toner hadn't the slightest difficulty in
becoming friendly with the manager, his
son. and the cashier. He soon discov-
cred that the second was frequently in
trusted with certain of the bank keys.
The precautions were ample enough in
all conscience, for there was within the
strong room a bullion safe, the keys of
which were carried by the chief cashier
The precise situation of the strong room
and the bullion safe however, had yet
to he ascertained.
Meanwhile | had Swallowed the son
of the manager, and had discovered that
he was not averse to an occasional game
of billiards.
1t was only to be expected when one
day the youngster went to his favorite
hotel that he should find there the af-
fable foreign customer of the bank, Mr..
Vernon, and two friends. One, / need
scarcely say, was myself and the other
was a man whom / will call jackson.
I'VE were soon on very friendly terms.
Winter was approaching, and the
weather being very cold we began to
preach the virtues of Turkish baths,
which, we asserted, were really necessary
in the winter time to keep the skin in
healthy action. Shinburn by this time
was so closely associated with the
Young fellow that he went about with
him a good deal, and eventually took him
to a neighboring town, where there was
Turkish bath.
Il Joined them in this excursion. and
we all three patronized the baths. On
the plea that my heart was weak. /
shortened the operation, and while Shin
burn and his companion were in the hot
room l was busy in the outer saloon,
running over the young mans pockets.
But we drew blank. No key was
found.
What was to be done? To repeat the
Turkish bath dodge might excite suspi-
cion, and we had to think out some other
plan The young mans taste for bill
lizards gave us a hint.
AN engagement for friendly match
was soon made, and ut wink from
Shinburn | hurried off to the billiard
room, and under the pretext of the bitter
weather l piled the Goals on the fire BY
the time the players arrived the room
was SO hot that Shinburn complained of
the heat, and threw off his coat. an ex.
ample soon followed by his antagonist.
x waited till the game was well on
and watching my opportunity while the
owner had his back turned. and the
marker was out of the room, | dashed
my hand into the pocket and drew out
the keys. IN less than no time | had an
impression of every one in wax, Shin.
burn keeping the young fellows atten.