Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-04-12

The fumes will turn a mans sto-
mach, and sometimes make him sick
for two or three days. On account
Of It's dangerous nature we cant
buy it and we are forced to extract
1t from dynamite, which we usually
steal from a quarry or magazine.
near the base Of operations. We
never start out on a job with less
than a pint of the explosive, for we
need at least a quarter or a half pint
for a job.
Making Nitroglyccrine.
eve take about 10 sticks, six
inches long and a half inch in diam
eter, crumble it in q piece of cloth,
and then place 1t suspended in a can
Of warn water. We keep constantly
renewing the warm water. which
gives the operation the name Of
cooking the soup
"As the %glycerine comes out of the
dynamite, 1t being heavier than the
water, 1t drops to the bottom of the
can, and when We have sufficiently
extracted the glycerine, we draw Off
the water from the above explosive
by means Of a syringe. The glycer-
inc is then strained, for we have got
to get out all particles Of dust in
order to make 1t safer in handling,
and also for better results, when we
use 1t on a safe.
tnpn 4, urt11 porr,, fl,n hNft1o IF
glycerine and the tools. which con-
sist Of a few cakes of soap, drills
and implements, but generally speak
ing, we do not laden ourselves with
tools, for we always find a black
smiths shop, or a railroad section
house, at some point convenient to
the job, which we break open and
get the brace, sledge hammer and a
few chisels or crow-bars to prize the
outside door Of the bank or post
office and then to operate with on
the bank or vault.
"In going to the place we all do
not go together. One or two will
make some other point nearby, that
the suspicious of the conductor and
train crew may not be excited. We
drop off the train as near together,
however, as we can and then we
make the point Of rendezvous, gene
rally In the woods at some point al
ready agreed upon. Much of our
success depends upon eluding the
railroad people and town authorities,
and this is not easy when a train Is
In charge Of such a man as Conduc-
tor Blanchard, to whom Is more due
than any other person that the bank
Of st. George was not robbed, as was
testified in court a few days ago. A
wide-awake conductor will come near
to putting off our job at any time.
How the sob" Is Done.
"The time Of operating is between
midnight and 2 o'clock in the morn
ing. We time ourselves to begin
work about IL o'clock. Well, the
first thing we do, Upon coming from
under cover-and by the way, we
don't bother to disguise ourselves
with false boards and all hat sort Of
thing, usually held in the public
minds to take a stroll through
the streets about the bank or post
office. We look carefully. 1t may
be necessary to catch a Waterman,
gag him and tie him up, but watch
men like to sleep when everything
Onfc nntnf nnl khirp, GEO. x..l-l T.
the average country town at mid
night. We get the tools, and If our
keys do not ft the locks we then
break open the door and reach the
safe or vault. Two men stay on the
outside to watch, while the other
two, with an electric flash light, or
dark lantern, get to work on the
safe.
"The Importance of the men on
the outside Is shown by the breakers
waiting on their signal for the blow
Ing Of the safe. When the holes have
been drilled and prepared for blow
ing 1t Is the men on the outside who
give the signal for the act, on the
principal that If any suspicious move
ment of an officer or neighbor has
been noted, the noise of the explo-
sion may be deferred until things
again become quiet. The report OF
glycerine Is a sharp and quick noise
which especially commends It's use,
for hardly does it take place than IL
is all over, and If 1t should be heard
by anybody In the neighborhood, they
soon urn over in their beds and &c
back to sleep. believing tia they