Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-07-28
THE GREAT BULLION ROBBERY.
How Mysterious Crime Was Finally
Solved

One September morning. several de-
cades ago, when the express officials
lifted out the bullion which had been
brought to BoulCgne by way of the
Southeastern railway, they noticed
that the bags were not quite as heavy
as usual. They were opened and
found to contain nothing but shot.
Thus hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of gold had mysteriously disap-
peared i'm the journey between London
and Boulogne.
The amazing part of it was that al
most superhuman means had been ta-
ken to protect the precious dust. The
gold was sent in the guards van.
packed in iron boxes. each of which
was deposited in safe with Chubb
lock, The safes each had two locks,
and naturally there was separate key
for each one. These keys were in trip
licate and were in the possession OF
the trusted officers of the company.
One set was kept by the traffic super
intendent in London, another by the
head of the Folkstone Railway office,
and the third by the captain of the
Folkstone-B -Boulogne boat.
Each of these men were beyond
suspicion. They were all willing to
swear that the bags had been sealed in
the usual form, duly fastened and
locked. How had the shot been sub
stituted for the gold? And where? No
one could answer these questions. 1t
seemed like black magic.
James Sweeney, of Scotland Yard,
was put on the case, and associated
with him were a number of the best
detectives in England. The investiga-
tors first visited the railway office at
Folkstone and made a careful examin-
alton of the premises. That brought
no results. After that there was a
second and more careful scrutiny or
the railway car. One of the finds here
was all old carpet bag.
That was a beginning. The Scot
land Yard men took the bag and be-
gan one of those systematic searches
i'm which they are excelled only by
the secret police of Paris. Many shop
keepers had sold many bags within
the period of time under investigation.
some were sold to citizens with whom
they were acquainted, while others
were disposed of to strangers whose
features they could describe only with
difficulty. However, the work of run
ming OUT these vague clews was start
ed and carried to a conclusion. 1t in
vClved weeks of patient labor.
In hpPnn1p innrpAS-
ingly evident that the robbery was the
work of skilled professionals. Little
items of information picked up here
and there proved that the scheme had
been carried out by gang Of thieves.
Finally enough was learned to con-
vince the detectives that the thieves
had secured a wax impression Of set
of the real keys, which enabled the
thieves to manufacture a set IF false
ones. But even with this it was neces-
sary to secure the assistance of some
one employed by the railway COM
pany.
At this stage of the game one of the
carpet bags was traced to man nam
ed Peter Agar. That in itself sounds
commonplace. But the Importance Of
it becomes evident when 1t is stated
that the portrait of Mr.. Agar occupied
a place of honor in the rogue's gallery
at Scotland Yard. Copies of the pic
ture were made and sent all along the
line. The guards and the ticket collec-
tors Immediately recognized 1t as that
Of one of the men who had travelled in
the train on the day the gold had dis
appeared.
Two things could be done. One was
to arrest Agar at once and depend
upon getting his assistance in bring
ing his pals to justice. The other was
to shadow him in the hope of securing
additional evidence that would result
in recovering some of the gold and
rounding up the gang. The second
course was agreed upon. So close
espionage was kept upon the skillful
and gentlemanly Mr.. Agar with the
intention of ultimately taking him
into custody.
Just as the police were ready to
pounce down up the fellow he upset
all of their plans. He committed a
fresh crime. And it was of a charac-
ter that could not be ignored. He was
caught uttering forged checks, and in
wholesale quantities An army of
shopkeepers went after him, and he
was arrested, tried, convicted and sem
fenced to transportation for life. The
detectives who had been after him for
him to make a confession Of that af-
fair, but he only smiled and remarked
that he had nothing to say for publi-
cation. They even tried, in a mild sort
of way, the kind Of persuasion that
we call the third degree, but it was of
no use. Agar shut up like a clam,
merely saying that he was ready to
take his punishment for the forged
checks. He was sent away, and with
him the only clew relating to the
theft of the gold dust.
The affair was about to be cast into
the list of unsolved mysteries when
note was received at the office of Cap
tain Frazier from a woman who gave
the name of Mrs. Kay. She said that
if the police would call at her home
she would give them some informa-
ton that would interest them exceed
ingly.
And she did.
1t was the old story of revenge
and woman's revenge at that. The
officer who called on Mrs. Kay expect
ed to hear of some petty offense, but
instead of that she poured into his
amazed ears the complete story Of the
great bullion robbery.
why do you tell me this?" asked
the officer.
Il
cheat me out of my just dues"
Your just dues?"
Yes. the money that belonged to
me-the money that was intended for
the support of myself and child.
Perhaps" suggested the plain
clothes man, eff you begin at the be-
ginning we may come to a better un-
derstanding."
Very WELL" was the response, 81
can start by saying that the plan for
the robbery was conceived by John
Pierce"
1t seems that Agar and Mrs. Kay
lived together as husband and wife
and that he had given her all the de-
tails of the robbery. Pierce. at the
time. was a clerk i'm bucket shop. He
had been concerned in several shady
transactions and the possibilities of
the gold train appealed TO him very
strongly. But it was too big job for
him to undertake alone. So he sought
the professional advice and assistance
of Agar. That gentleman seized the
suggestion with avidity.
The first step necessary was to win
over one of the employees of the COM
pany. So they approached one Of the
guards named Burgess who was usu-
ally i'm charge of the trains carrying
the gold He fell i'm with the scheme