The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-09-27

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lead, 50 pushed my inquiries in that
direction. learned when the cashier
had opened the safe on Monday morn
Ing that the other clerk was not pres
ent.\ 1t was evident then that the
cashier had both keys. The president
would not believe me when told him
OF the state of affairs. 1t was strict
rule OF the bank that the keys held
by each man should not be surren7
dered to any one except by order OF
the president.
II then centered my attention on
Cashier Bell and began to weave the
net closer and closer about him. !
learned that Bell had requested the
clerk to give him the keys about a
week before the robbery. The clerk
was going to attend a ball, and the
cashier had told him to let him have
the keys, so he need not report as
early as usual at the bank. The clerk
gave up the keys. The cashier did not
return them, although the clerk asked
for them. Then l learned that Bell
had been specializing through bra
ker in Wall street, and as near as L
could get at 1t, had lost about $4,000;
in year, which was news to the bank.
officials.
II found out that the cashier had!
held several interviews with strangers,
and another startling fact-that on the
night of the robbery Mrs. Bell had
awakened and found that her husband
was not in bed. She did not know
where he was, and had not thought Of
asking him. There were several other
suspicious circumstances against Bell.
I became convinced that If he did not
commit the robbery himself, he must
certainly have had some knowledge of
it.
There were also many facts In
Bells favor; but the bank direc-
tors became convinced. after carefully
! weighing all the evidence, that he was
guilty, and he was arrested. l never
saw a man who took his arrest so
hard, and justly so, as it afterWard
turned out. He had hearing, and
SO strong a. case was made out against
him that he was held for trial.
SHORTY after this there was fire
in the house of a Mrs. Libby Larsen.
Being a bit of fire fiend. I went to
see the country boys work. They did
such good work that they saved the
house. l went into the place, and in
closet on the second floor l picked
up a piece of wax. It would not have
been noticed by any one not familiar
with the methods Of thieves, but I saw
at a glance that it had been used to
make an impression of two keys. l
slipped 1t into my pocket and made
careful examination of it in my room.
The impression showed that the keys
were of Intricate construction, and the
thought flashed across my mind that
! they were very similar to the keys OF
the vault in the bank. l obtained the
keys without telling any one my bust
ness, and found hat they fitted per:
| fectly. This was new light on the
mystery. 1t seemed to be convincing
proof that Bell had accomplices-prob-
ably the strangers he had met
II could not understand. however,
how it was that wax impression
had been made of the keys which Bell
had In his possession. Why go to all
this trouble when the keys themselves
could be used at any time?
II took a peep at Mrs. Larsen with
out her knowing it. I tell you / gave
jump when recognized her as An
ME Skidmore, the wife Of Bill Skid.
more, a we'll known bank sneak. At
last | began to see daylight. Annie
was stopping at the house of neigh
Dor, after being burned out, AID
learned that she had received 500 by
telegraph from New York the day OF
the fire. The wording of the telegram
did not throw any light on the case.
ITO my surprise and delight. Annie.
the following day after I recognized
her, left Kingston and went to Al
bany. She showed her cunning in do
ing this. as the same night she took
the train for New York knew from
this secretiye movement that Annie
had something important that she was
trying to hide. I could tell by her
easy movements that she thought she
was safe. l telegraphed for couple
of detectives to meet me at the depot,
as could not tell what would turn up.
1T was lucky that l did so, for in
the depot waiting for Annie, were
Willy Mitchell and Bill Noble. two of
the brightest crooks in the land. They
spoke with her moment. knew that
they were making an appointment
from the movement Of her head.
sent the two men after Willy and Bill,
and went after Annie She went to
private house in Fourteenth street.
remained there two hours. and then
went out with a gray wig as dis.
guise.
She was we'll known in this city. l
surmised that she was going to meet
her partners, and was convinced OF it
when she reached the corner Of
Greene street and Clinton place.
saw my partners taking pipe on
house in Clinton place, and l quietly
arrested Annie. I locked her up in the
Mercer street station, went back to
my partners. and arrested Bill and
Willy when they appeared on the
street. They gave us the laugh. but
that night I gave Annie the third de-
gree. She finally broke down and told
all about the robbery and the part
Willy and Bill had played in it.
"They still pretended their inno-
oonco ,,util 7 nrOduced the WAY I'M