Arizona republican., 1922-02-20
Story Published By The Republican
Is Years Ago Is Theme Of Scenario

istered at a daughter waits table"
hotel, ostensibly real estate men look
ing for mortgage investments. No
one knew him. as Jack had left town
when a mere boy and the town mar
shall never saw a rogues gallery not
to speak of not knowing anything of
the Bertillon Identification system.
Good thing for us, too.
THE third night of our stay. a
Saturday just at taxpaying time,
when the banks drawers were bulg-
ing. it begain raining like the very
blazes. No one was on the street.
even the druggist across the way had
turned out the lights behind his red
and green globes and gone to bed
without the thought of a night call.
No bed for us, Jack laid out his
tools on a blanket. glittering shiny
things that looked more like sur
geon's instruments. and oiled them,
humming an air that sounded like
I'VE need the m-o-n-e-y." Then
donning rain coats we lowered our
selves out of the window to a shed
in the rear and from it to the ground.
The bank directors room opened to
an alley and while the window was
barred that made no difference Jack
had a steel telescope jimmy that
was capable of being extended into a
three-foot crowbar, and a moments
work with this tool soon removed
the bars from their lead sockets and
we crawled in out of the rain. While
we were resting there came rattle
at the front door. then the insertion
Of key and the turning of a lock.
What the devil was up? Was the
usually somnolent marshal suspicious
and were we in trap. Jack drew
an ominous Colt, while we peered
through the Sits we made in the
leather screen. The door opened and
then shut behind the cashier who
turned up the light. opened the vault
and taking from it some books and
papers, seated himself at his desk.
1t was pretty ticklish situation TO
me and l became nervous and !
begged Jack to back out or holdup
the cashier while the vault was open.
''NiXey. there's no backing out and
I don't fancy any damn fool Wild
West work. Well wait until he
leaves"
We'll. sir, we did wait, but waiting
was damnably trying on my nerves.
In few moments, however. the
cashier went into the vault and then
there came to our ears a muffled
report. 1t was sharp and well de-
fined. Only a medium caliber re-
volver shot could have made it and
vet, because it was from the depths
of the vault it was faint even to our
ears"
The story then proceeds to the dis
covery of a confession the cashier had
left showing that he had lost 100000
in the wheat pit, a shortage he had
covered by forgeries. He stated that
he was carrying life insurance pol
icies amounting to $25, 800 A further
search disclosed the picture Of the
dead mans wife whom the Peterman
recognized as a childhood sweetheart.
The bank burglars task was not
the robbery of the safe but to con-
ceal from the wife the story of her
husbands defalcation and suicide.
All the discriminating papers were
gathered up and later burned. The
insurance policies were taken away
and afterwards returned to the wife
by mail. The body was carried out
of the vault and placed beside the
cashiers desk. The hands and the
feet were bound and the furniture
and rugs were disturbed to present
evidence OF struggle. Then the
vault was locked in order that it