Year: 1870




ONE of the most wonderful robberies
ever perpetrated-wonderful, at least,
when one considers the means at the dis
posal of the robber-was the achievement
of Frenchman, who, for long time after
it, was recognized in his profession as {" the
King of the Bandits"


His claim to this title was based upon a
single exploit--the robbing of diligence
which feat he not only planned, but car
ried into successful execution, without any
assistance whatsoever To do this, he
made all his arrangements with the most
careful completeness, and, we may be sure,
fixed night for the attack when the
coach carried freight worth robbing. He
studied closely the country through which
the journey was to be made, and selected
point on the road where there was
very steep hill, with hedges and under
wood at either side. He then procured a
number of stout sticks about the length
and thickness of the barrel of gun.
These he stuck into the hedges, letting the
ends of them appear, as if they were the
muzzles of guns directed by persons in
ambuscade behind the hedge AS the
diligence now came toiling slowly up the
hill, the driver saw man standing on the
pathway, and gesticulating violently. On
approaching nearer, the man could be heard
distinctly haranguing them. "Ready |!
Obey orders Nofring if there be no resist
ance!" And then the robber, walking slow
ly forward, stopped the horses, told the
guard to get down and to lie with his face
and hands on the ground, and that no vio-
lence would be offered to him. He then
went to the door of the vehicle, and assur-
ing the ladies, who were screaming for
help, that they need be under no alarm,
begged each passenger, as he stepped out,
to hand him his purse, and then to lie
down on his face and hands near the
guard. While, all this drama was being
enacted, the robber- chief kept shouting
TO his assistants not to fire unless there
| was resistance; not to fire until they
should get his signal. Thus, one by one,
he handed all the passengers out, each
giving up his purse as if it was ticket,
and then going and lying upon the wet
grass side by side with the guard. When
the diligence was empty, our highway
man retired with all the movable property
he desired to possess himself of, and es-
capped through the wood. The most anus
ing part of the story was that amongst
the travellers were several officers fully
armed, who surrendered their swords at
discretion, and joined the other dupes on
the grass. 1t is well to add that the rob-
Der was ultimately apprehended, and the
greater part of the stolen property was
found upon him.


Another very extraordinary robbery
was one which has only recently been de-
tected; if it has less adventure in it than
the other, it has certainly more system
and ingenuity. The enterpriser in this
case was also highly thought of amongst
his brethren, land was well known to pro-
fessional thieves as "Jack in the Box. "
His chief residence was in the capital, but
he had Offices for his business in many
other towns His system was this He
had box so constructed that he could lie
down in it with ease, and rely upon al
ways having plenty of fresh air; it could
also contain provisions, tools, false keys, a
lantern, ETC., etc, and the real mode OF
opening it was from the inside. Jack,
having caused himself to be buried alive
in this coffin, would get it booked, say
train, and carefully labled, "This side up;
to be kept till called for" The box
always was put in train that arrived at
the station at night, and was accordingly
stored till called for the following day. 1t
| was in this interval that the robberies
were committed. When the whole sta
ton was shut up, the porters dismissed,
and the place in darkness, Jack emerged
from his box, Lit his lantern, and set to
work. He got Out his tools and his keys,
and took his time, for he had plenty OF
| time to take. We all know what an inse-
cure thing the lock of trunk is, and how
| nearly ali Keys are made on the same pat
| tern. They did not afford much trouble
| to the robber; he opened box after box,
unpacking them with great care and tidi-
ness-for long practice had made him per-
fect-and selecting as keepsakes the arti-
cles that were mCst valuable, most porta-
BILE, and most easily disposed Of With
these gleanings he filled the box in which
he had himself come up to town, and then
lay in concealment till the morning. The
stores would then be opened, porters
would come in to remove goods, and Jack
would choose his own time to effect his
escape. Later in the day he would cal
for parcel that had arrived from Chester
by the last goods train Of the preceding
night, and that was directed to be called
for he would take it away with him in q
cab, having first paid all the railway
charges upon it. But the day came when
this little "coup" was made for the last
time, and it was policeman, and not his
box, that Jack found waiting for him on
application. Thegovernor of county jail
showed me collection of the photo
graphs of all the prisoners who had ever
been in his charge" that is" said he, "ol
all except one" That honorable excep.
tion was our friend Jack he positively
declinedi to be photographed. He said
with some shrewdness, that it would ruin
| his future nrosnects. OnsseLL,s Mndnzine