The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-01

10 one who stepped into the ocala
National Bank today ana observed,
Henry D. stokes calmly attending t.
his duties. would have supposed hat
during some strenuous minutes OF last
night be engaged in hand TO hand
fight with . desperate to preserve his
own life and the property Of the bank
No one who met Sheriff Galloway and
was greeted with his usual genial ana
apparently unc0ncerned manner would
have supposed that before daylight
this morning he was reused from his
bed TO take in charge one of the most
notorious criminals that has ever
|practiced the art Of burglary In North
America
Last night. soon after midnight. Mr..
Stokes. to whom hard work and a
clear conscience usually secures sound
sleep. was awakened from his sIumb-
ers, in his home in the northeastern
part Of the city. by the uneasy feeling
that something was wrong at the
bank Try as he would TO get rid of
the sensation that his common sense
told him was unreasonable, he could
not succeed. and finally. despairing of
going back to sleep. he arose. dressed
and. without awaking anyone slipped
out of the house and came down town.
The public square was quiet: there
wasn't even a hack in sight, and half
smiling at his own surrender TO his
de1usion. he walked up to the bank to
receive a distinct shock when he found
all the lights We're out and the build
ing was as dark as tomb
Still. this might only be an acct
dent, and he did not feel like making
an alarm until he was sure he had
reason to do SO. Cautiously and with
catlfke footsteps he passed along the
sidewalk on the south and west of the
building, not seeing nor hearing any
thing suspicious, but observing the
fact that not human being
seemed to be in that part of the town
Returning TO the front Of the bank,
and without making the slightest
noise. he let himself in. not at the
main entrance, but into the presidents
quarters. spacious and we'll furnish
ed room in the southeast corner OF the
building Once inside, he stopped.
looked and listened, but beyond tho
darkness and his indefnable feeling of
wrong. he could discover no
cause for alarm.
door that let out of the presidents
dious office. Still darkness and quiet
greeted him, and he decided to go into
the lobby and see if he could turn on
the electric light.
Just then he became conscious OF
faint illumination. and looking toward
the vault thought he could see just
the faintest light before the big steel
shutters that guard the cash OF the
Oeala National At the same time he
felt rather than heard the faintest of
grinding sounds.
For nearly any other man, that
would have been enough, and he would
have made an immediate sneak and
search for a policeman. But Henry
Stokes is not that kind--he had no idea
of letting thief have any chance OF
escaping with the valuable property
to his care.
On shelf under the teller's window
was a revoIver-unless 1t had been
removed. Mr.. Stokes slipped off his
shoes and moved as easily as a panther
stalking its prey thru his own office
into that of the teller. Reaching for
the pistol, his already high courage
was fortified tenfold when his fingers
closed over the stock OF the weapon.
Armed, he now stood confident in
the darkness, equal to anything or
anyone, while with his eyes and ears he
sought the cause of his unwonted ex-
perience. Almost Immediately he per-
ceived narrow but distinct CLEAN of
light cast on the door OF the vault by
a small electric torch. which also. re-
vealed pair OF hands busiIy manipu-
4
"a ding some powerful
OF Out sinking into the steel almost