The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-13

rIety and Dave figured that 1t would re-
quire at least two hours work to get the
best Of 1t. For a week he studied the
layout endeavoring to work out a plan by
which he could get two hours OF unin-
terrupted work on the safe. At length,
he solved the difficulty. Having gained
an entrance to the place he rugged up
dummy safe In the rear OF the store. wait
ed until the Waterman had made his
hourly inspection and then carefully sub
stituted the dummy safe for the real one.
One hour later the Waterman appeared
upon the scene again and looked through
the glass door, but he didn't suspect for
moment that the safe he saw was any
thing but what 1t appeared to be- and all
the time Dave was busy engaged in the
rear Of the store cracking the real safe.
CUmmings's loot amounted to 100000 in
this case. Somewhat later he cracked the
safe OF the First National Bank OF Quincy.
ILL.,, and got away with s539.00O In cur
rency, bonds and other securities, and
within the year he stole 100000 from the
Falls City Bank Of Louisville, KY, not
to mention anything OF several minor dia.
mond robberies he committed in addition
Yet all this enormous fortune. aggregat.
Ing nearly two million dollars and accumu-
lated within little over two years, went
the way Of al ill-gotten gains. Wine.
women and faro took It. Within a few
months after the last OF these big hauls
was made Dave was absolutely "broke!"
If anyone imagines then that there is
Np,fn -
of the proceeds of life of crime this ex
perience OF Dave Cummings and similar
experiences of the hundreds of other
successful" criminals whose stories
am revealing ought to Danish the delusion.
No one could possibly be more success
full in his business than these criminals
were in theirs. and yet their lives pointed
ever to the conclusion that CRIME DOES
NOT PAY
Weddings offer fine opportunities for
diamond robbers. Many clever schemes
are used to get access TO the room where
the wedding presents are displayed l
have engineered a number OF these rob-
berries, and we always got away without
being detected although we had many
narrow escapes.
l had been reading the papers pretty
closely in the hope OF learning of some
fashionable wedding which would answer
my purpose. / saw my opportunity in the
announcement of the coming wedding OF
the daughter of very wealthy man. The
ceremony was to be performed In their
town house and the wedding presents,
said to represent fortune, would un-
doubtedly be placed on view for the edif-
cation of the guests. l knew that the
father was very much interested in
charitable works, and that, as was usual
in such cases, the flowers and rare plants
used TO decorate the house would after
ward be sent to some hospital or similar
organization for the benefit of the in
mates.
followed the papers and read all l
could find about this particular wedding.
1t was said that a well-known detective
concern had been engaged to keep watch
on the presents, owing to the fact that
many additional walters and servants
would be on hand and every precaution
was necessary to guard against thieves.
After the festivities are over and the
bride and groom have left the house, it Is
customary in such cases for most of the
detectives to go, only one or two remain
ing TO keep an eye on the wedding pres.
ents until they have been safely deposited
in the vaults.
That was the time chose to descend