The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1912-03-22

most cases some one of his gang were
! captured or killed. In one season
! Gray "jobbed" about five towns with.
in four or five weeks and Melted
about $4,000. Notwithstanding this,
he never had any money Gambling
and dope, II was said took the money
as fast as one lob" was finished.
Gray's gang seldom worked in the
summer. This part Of year was Civ.
en- over to locating" Jobs. which were
worked" in the winter In making
these locations, Gray represented
| himself as a horse buyer or trader
but he never bought or traded. He
| located
Expert Dynamiter, Banks His Hobby.
Gray's hobby was banks and his
vast experience in the handling Of
explosives was such that Pinkerton
detectives could distinguish his work
from that of any other safe cracker.
He was so precise in his methods. He
was uneducated but he learned the
mysteries of dynamite and nitro gly-
| cerine by experience. He did Jobs"
in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dako-
ia, and he was so well known in parts
of the latter state that he found it
necessary to move.
He moved to Sioux City but there
the authorities became too familiar
with him and he returned to Nebras.
ka. He could easily have escaped
and wandered further than these
I'M
of this territory so he stayed and
took his third or fourth term in the
Nebraska penitentiary. 1t is known
that he served in other states.
Headquartered in Norfolk.
Gray was the leader of the Meadow
Grove bank robbers and Tom Slavin
who was captured in Norfolk, declar-
ed that Gray had planned the Job"
for a number of weeks before. Sa-
vim claimed he came to Norfolk and
that Gray had put the proposition UP
to him in so picturesque a way that
he consented.
According to Slavin's own story to
a News representative, Gray took
charge of the handling of all the
nitro. Slavin claimed he only watch
ed" while Gray was at work. Moth
ing was obtained from the bank after
the explosion and the men were trac-
ed to Norfolk. 1t was Gray who first
offered resistance at South Norfolk.
Slavin was captured and Gray es-
capped Slavin's clothes revealed three
of the most peculiar skeleton keys
ever seen by the police. They were
neatly worked out of new spikes and
Slavin declared them to be the pro-
perty Of Gray.
"They called him Shorty" said
Slavin. 81 never knew his other
name"
Continuing his talk of Shorty in the
Norfolk city Jail Slavin said:
He was the leader. We did what
he told us to do and he led me into
this. He was the one that aimed at
the man looking for us south Of
town."
The man referred to was Constable
Finkhouse who followed the robbers
to South Norfolk from a location
west of the city. Finkhouse was alone
and only armed with a revolver. The
men saw he was following them and
Gray, kneeling on one knee, aimed
a revolver at the constable. The lat
ter pretended to be a farmer and
walked back into the cornfields but
continued to keep the bandits in sight.
Blew George Brooks Vault.
The Meadow Grove and Randolph
bank robberies attributed to Gray are
not the only ones in this vicinity with
which he is said to have had lead
ing part. The Hadar bank robbery |
is credited to him and the blowing up
of the George Brooks vault at Bazile
Mills is said to have been his work.
This latter job is one Of the most
freakish on his list. Nitroglycerine
was used. 1t was Gray's favorite ex-
plosive. Dynamite was too loud. The
vault was built outside of the build
ing so a wall of the building was TAX
en- out and the safe rolled out into
the back yard where it was, laid
down, door up.
The nitro was poured into the
cracks and a blanket hushed the
noise a trifle. Several charges were
necessary and $l,4O0 was taken from
the safe. Mr.. Brooks heard each
discharge and thought some one was
out killing cats.
Gray did many other jobs in this
vicinity and it was said that he was
at the head of an organized gang in
Sioux City.