Year: 1879




ing for this purpose. 1t is that of put
ting small wedge between the door
and the jamb in the evening after the
bank is closed, and by observing if this
wedge still remains there before the
bank is opened in the morning.


In the cases of bank robberies, the
final work is generally done between
Saturday night and Sunday morning
The tools used by professional thieves
are such as are commonly used by me-
chanics, excepting the ''jimmy, :" which,
for the heavier work, is made in several
sections screwed together when it is re-
quired for use, being then about the
size of the ordinary crowbar.


Some years since a decent-looking
man called upon the cashier of large
bank in seaport town, desiring to rent
the cellar and basement underneath the
bank, for the purposes of an oyster
store. The stranger was accepted as
a tenant, and the oyster business
was begun, and fourished for about
seven months The rent was paid
promptly every month, and that was
all the bank people expected. One
fine morning the banker woke up to
learn that the bank had been entered,
moneys, securities and all were gone
clean job. The vault was ssburglar
proof" the safes ethe very best" but
our honest oyster men had silently
worked their way up into both, COM
mencing below and going through the
bottom of the vault. Indeed, they had
1t all their own way, and had taken
their time as well as the contents of the
vault, which they had reached without
much trouble. The banker was, of
course, Mortified to learn that the vault
and safe were not " burglar-pro


A dentist applied to the officers of
bank in large town for rooms over the
bank. A rental was agreed upon, and
the rooms were fitted up in the most
luxurious style. Customers were scarce,
but the dentist always remarked: "Com-
mencing business is always uphill work,
but patience will insure success in the
end" The bank clerks had their bad
teeth treated and plugged and their new
nelghbor was pronounced master .of
his business. The dentist had visiting
friends, who remained in his rooms very
late at night, but that was not very ex-
traordinary, for he was of a sociable
disposition. For many months he strug-
gled along. At length one Monday
morning, after the bank was opened for
the business of the day, the door of the
vault refused to open. Upon examina-
ton it was ascertained that the bank
had been robbed. The ceiling of the
vault was found to have been torn out,
the pieces of which had been carried
out by the dentists friends, circum-
stance which at once accounted for their
bulky pockets. The dentist and his
confederates had worked their way
through the floor of his Office, carrying
away the debris as fast as made. Cop
per-headed mallets, chisels, blow-pipe
and drills soon mastered the inVul-
nerable steel burglar-proof safe," q lit
tie powder finished the work, and the
immense treasures were reached and
carried away by our pseudo-dentist and
his confreres, who left for less exposed
regions, having succeeded in drawing,
if not the teeth, the wool over the eyes
of bank people.


Two celebrated burglars visited a
pleasant interior Eastern town
some time since. They drove into
the town with a fine dashing team, put
up at the best hotel in the place, re-
manned several days, and transacted
little business at the bank, changing
large bills for small ones, etc. They
held pleasant conversation with the
cashier and clerks, who thought them
very agreeable men indeed. During
their stay in the town they observed the
movements of every person connected
with the bank. They ascertained that
by II O'Clock at night the town people
went to bed, and by midnight silence
prevailed. There were no policemen.
On dark and stormy night, just after
this time, the cashier of the bank was
surprised in his bed. He was awakened
out of sound sleep by several men
all in disguise, one OF whom
ordered him to dress. They
then gagged him. They gagged his
wife and the other occupants of the
house. The cashier was ordered to de-
liver the key of the bank safe. His re-
fusal was met with a cold revolver
pressed to his forehead. He relented
and delivered the keys. Subsequently
they took him to the bank and made
him unlock the safe himself. He was
sent back to the house, and the family
was kept guarded until a detachment OF
thieves robbed the bank. When the
work was finished, the cashiers family
was admonished not to stir under pain
of death. The cashier and his wife
could not help remarking that " they >
(the thieves) "behaved very gentle
manly"