The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-10-31

whom thsy could unicad the burden OF
/ their worry.
Il had scared for years that Il was
eonihg." said oilsa. Every night for
tie last twenty years that ] have
locked ND that oId-fanhionod vault !
have sald 20 myself What would hap
pen II safe-bIOwer knew what Q
weak door stands between this banks
money and d TObberr I have recon-
ruended time after time the inHtalIa-
tion Of new vaults. but you gentlemen
| Of the directorate have seen AZ 70 be-
meve that economy should continue TO
Be our watchword. Ear be Il from me
e pretend to criticize, but there might
Be 4 different tale 70 tell this morning
Il there had been q modern vault in
thih bank"
ooh. WELL" said one Of the directors,
Il suppose these safe-blowers could
get into any kind Of . safe, couldn't
they, Mr.. CornellI"
egOme Of them cam" replied. 1T
aapends on their skill. Suppose we
take look at the safe"
Giles promptly led 40 into the rear
room. where the vault was located.
never have seen . vault or safe that
| lad been used more roughly than the
one that now was before my eyes. In
the language OF the profession. II bad
been "all shot 70 pieces" The door
had been cracked and torn and twist
/ 81 and aunR across the room. Pieces
OF bolts, bars and Iron were lying all
over. It was impossible TO tell what
hind Of q door 81 had been that locked
ii the Weldon community's money,
80 shattered Yves 4. An enormous
amount OF horse baskets bad been
unsd 70 muGio the sound o. the explo-
sion.
"A big charge" I said; e desperate
" big charge. They must have wanted
70 make sure Of blowing her open and
didn't fear to make noise. Please
leave everything just 40 It - and Let
us step across and look at the man
who got caught IN the explosion.
We-Mr. Giles, the directors and
myself over to the undertaking
/ shop whore the dead bandit lay. ! had
hoped to recognize him as some listed
yeggman, though my acquaintance
| with that class was limited; but ! was
disappointed. His face had been blown
60 thoroughly to pieces in the expo.
| sion that Il was impossible for anyone
NOT familiar with his smallest charac-
kersatics 10 make out who he Nigh
have been. He was dressed Q LITTLE
basteF than the average yeggman, foi
there was the remnant OF Q clean cut
On one OF his Wrists, but this was OIL
that could make out In q cursory
examination.
sI1l be back later" I told the man
IN charge. Then / told Giles that !
would like 70 hear the whole story Of
the AFFAIR.
fie led the way back to his ONCE in
the bank building and told the story
Ia q careful, intelligent way. There
was nothing remarkable in the story
/ He had been called down to the bank
at $3.50 that morning by q working
man who. while passing to his work
had seen that the front door OF this
bank building was unlocked. lie haC
gone IN at once, In company with thu
workman. He had found the door be
tween the banking room and the vault
room locked, 40 usual. He had opened
the door and had found the dead bur
glar and the looted safe. much as We
had seen the room. Eighty-nve thou
sand dollars in large bank notes hat
been taken. Some hundreds OF dol
lars worth OF smaller bills and about
Q thousand dollars worth Of silver hat
not been touched, Nobody had beer
found who had heard the explosion
and there was absolutely no trace o.,
the robbers.
That was Giles story. II was tole
i IA precise. clerical fashion. greatly II
contrast TO the story OF the sheriff.
who, when no was called in, ramblec
abouN bloodhoupds and posses and
made . fOoi Of himself trying to 81.
pear 'wise" before q city detective.
"You locked up the vault last night,
cid you, Mr.. Ciles2'' asked.
EYES sir" he answered.
"And this money was all in there
when you locked II upf'
| YEA OF course"
| / thanked him and said; Nov viii
you kindly lot me so over the vault
again alonsf Unjust study IL carefully
IA order 20 make out an intelligent re-
part"
He acQuieaced readily and went in
the room and shut myself In with the
ahatteFed vault
/ had been impressed with my first
glance by the apparently enormous
charge Of explosive that had been
used IN the robbery. So terrible had
the wrackags been that Il seemed In
possible to me that any living man
cold have been In that room and sur.
i vivsd after the soup" had scattered
the fragments OF that door around.
The room Was 90 narrow that It must
have been like standing before q NOR
tar loaded with scrap iron. The horse
blankets were torn 70 shreds. ! said
to myself: "A bungler'a Job, and went
out and tslegraphed for an expert ON
explosives, for the expert OF the firm
hat made the safe. and for Durango
and MahaRey. two Of our men who
knew most Of the big yeggs in the
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