Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-08-14
ConScienfiouS
Chief
fOriginal.1

B(lCnllaC OdAh Jul 6AdAo VA Ao tlAC
He never did a clumsy job, and there
were few safes he couldn't get into
without making a noise. Neverthe-
less Mike landed in state prison
and served a long term. When he goi
out he had something slowed away
and thought he could take no further
risks, but an opportunity so dead easy
offered that he determined to avail
himself of it.
He received an anonymous note stat
ing that the cashier of a bank was
behind with his accounts and would
like to cover up the deficiency by q
robbery. II Mike would do the Job
$4,000 in bills would be placed in the
bank safe for him. The deficiency was
$4,000, and this was to be paid to the
cashier, with which to make up his
deficiency. He would not for the world
take another cent, and when schemes
in which he had invested were devel-
oped he would be able to make restitu-
ton also for the amount Mike vas to
keep. He was in great agony of mind
over his position, but hoped to come
out all right In time. The writer ap-
pointed a place of meeting In case
Mike would take the job.
This was altogether too tempting an
opportunity to be thrown over the
shoulder. Mike agreed to meet the
cashier and found him in great agony
of conscience. He said that he had
been trusted implicitly and was al
lowed to do what he pleased with the
cash. If he could have but six months
he would surely be able to square bis
account. AS 1t was. he saw no way but
this device, by which in the end the
bank would lose nothing. He seemed
to suffer so from the tortures of con
science that 1t aroused a spark of
Mikes former honest self. He told the
cashier that he would help him out,
but the job would be the last Of the
kind he would ever undertake.
All the preliminary information the
burglar required was that his partner
was what he pretended to be. OF this
Mike satisfied himself. then was ready
to carry out the plan. A night was
agreed upon. The cashier gave Mike
a diagram of the bank building to
guide him and showed him how he
could saw through a few iron bars OF
a basement window in the rear, where
he wouldn't attract attention, and &c
right upstairs to the vault in which
the safe was kept. The cashier agreed
to keep the Waterman on duty during
the day so that he would be drowsy
during the night, but information was
given as to a way of approach that
would take the man by surprise and be
could easily be o~verpowered.
When the time came to do the job
Mike found everything as It had been
given him. He had no difficulty In
saving through the bars, found
-watchmaa- asfeep-and ciapped a hand
kerchief saturated with ether under bis
nose. Then he bound and gagged him
and went to work with that delibera-
ton for which be was noted. He had
a comparatively easy time getting into
the vault, but found the safe a hard
nut to crack. While he was at work
at the safe he heard the Waterman try
ting to shout through his gag and went
out to see that all was safe. Mike tight
ened the cords and reset the gag.
After a hard tussle he opened the
safe. The cashier had told him that
he would find the bills in a pigeonhole
right in front of him. and Mike brought
his bullseye to bear On the place de-
scribed. The pigeonholes were there,
but no cash. Mike received something
like a shock. Quickly sweeping the In
terror of the safe with his lantern, he
saw nothing but some old papers and
memorandum books. Then 1t rushed
upon him that his kindly, conflding ma
ture had been played upon. Moreover,
he considered that It behooved him to
get out and away rs loon as possible.
What more there was to the trick he
couldn't tell. but he knew there was
nothing that promised any good to him.
So he made a hasty retreat.
The next day he took up an after
noon paper and saw under a scare
head that the bank he had operated
upon had been robbed of 100000 in
currency. Mike gave a low whistle of
establishment. He had been racking
his brains all day for an explanation OF
the episode, and now one began to
dawn upon him. The cashier had ap-
propriated the amount announced to
be stolen and had covered UP his theft
by a bank robbery-that Is, If getting
nothing could be considered such.
Mike was so incensed that his first
impulse was to surrender himself, con.
fess his part in the transaction and
give evidence against the cashier. But
the more he thought of 1t the palmer
he saw that he would simply get him.