The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1912-11-30

look the fanli2ht | never could under
stand as everything else IN the room
-keyhOles. cracks and Windows
were cNfetuily covered
Mrs Francis peeped inside No
one WAS in sight She could see TIE
blocks OF marble but no one was
hammering on them The sound was
very distinct. and she wondered what
II meant She could hear voices, too.
When her eyes lit Oh the open fire
place and she saw a piece OF stone ny
from it into the room she Tell of the
ladder The noise in the room stop
ped. Mrs. Francis picked herself up
and hurried away as rapidly as pos
sibie. She peeped over the banister
and saw some one open the studio
door
In a moment the hammering was
resumed, and Mrs. Francis hurried 10
police headquarters. | was in charge,
as Chief Edward S. McWiliiams was
III L HliauCipiIid Sli D L diAiS toAd AlIS
her story. | knew at once that gang
OF burglars had planted the bank
Mrs. Francis told me that tour
men were In the gang, and after a
long wait We saw two or them come
out OF the boarding house. In a few
moments the two other fellows came
out. and they all crossed the ferry to
New York. | knew one OF them. He
was the best looking one in the gang
| had played several games or bill
lizards with him at Taylor's hotel. and
was beaten every time. | found out
afterWard that he was Cummings.
Bowie and | crossed over to
Nafews saloon. and got small col
ored boy who worked there. We
took him into the boarding house and
pushed him through the open fan
light into the studio. The Kid jumped
Into the hole in the fireplace. saw the
condition OF things there and came
back scared half to death.
Then | waited at the house unit!
three OF the gang came back They
seemed to be In a hurry. and went to
work In the vault late in the after
noon. Cummings did not return.
knew the trick was about to come of.
and he had been left outside to watch.
for the men, and when they returned.
after making sure that Cummings was
not on the lookout anywhere. | sent
two men to the roof Of the house, sta
toned three others in the bank, and
the rest | placed on the stairs. Bowie
and |. with four big neryy men. made
for the room. The sound OF the ham
mering was very distinct, but | could
not tell whether the three men were
in the hole or not
Il stood fiat against the studio door.
and placed Bowie and two policemen
behind me.
The door flew open. and | landed
on my hands and knees in the middle
of the room The place was empty.
and | jumped for the fireplace with
my revolver in my hand.
Bowie one of the stoutesthearted
boys | ever knew, got there ahead OF
me and shouted to the gang to throw
up their hands. In the hole We're
three men on their hands and knees
and ! heard them whisper to each
other but could not tell what they
said | knew that they would not
give up without a battle and | felt re-
lieved when one Of the policemen
shouted: Here are their guns. Cap.
They We're unarmeu. and | knew /
had them all safe. The three fellows
expressions on their mugs as | ever
saw One of them kept swearing all
the time. They kept their hands
above their heads. but | could see that
they We're sizing up the game as they
crawled into the room. Before We
low gave me vicious kick in the
abdomen, and started for the window.
My men would have killed him If
| had not called them off. Another or
the thieves made for the door. he
was biack-looking devil and had the
courage Of lion. Why he was not
killed | never could understand. but 1
suppose we got little careless when
we found out they had nothing tC
shoot with and gave them more of a
chance But We got the handouts on
them and landed them in the station
house.
There was sequel to this cap
ture which created even greater ex-
element than the attempted bank
robbery. The thieves squealed' at
their trial and said that Captain Nc
Williams and Detective Doyle. who
was McWilliams' confidential man,
were in the scheme to rob the bank
and were to be rewarded with a share