Year: 1870

1 when he was IN the ONCE DuI managed


to stop it. After he had gone We stepped


out We had abundance of time before us


only we had to keep still for time, as the


janitor was most likely sweeping the bank


upstairs. Sowe had a good snooze, and


got to work about midnight. The first


thing was to get down the plaster overhead


without noise, which we did by holding q


blanket under it and picking it off gently


and In small pieces. We then got to the


laths, and Jerry Nudge, the carpenter


among us, cut them off with q fine saw.


forgot to say We had hung blankets before


the windows, and as there were iron shut


ters too, both noise and light were kept


from the street. For a month previous


Gentleman Tim had been bringing to the


Office, in small quantities, such things as


We needed, and we had good stock OF


everything on hand.


We then struck the floor of the bank,


and Gentleman Tim, standing on the press,


soon sawed out piece some three feet


square, Luckily there was some loose


mating on the floor overhead, and not a
tacked-down carpet, and it lay exactly over


where we had cut. You see had often


been in the bank and had taken the bear


ings of things Well, we clambered up


through the hole and surveyed things


Scotch Bob was safe-lock-maker, and he


Thought hecould open any combination
lock if he only had time. So to work he


went. We fellows went below andleft m to


himself, as he could work better that way.


You see, we had not intended 10 remove
any thing that night. The time would be


too short. We were only to get ready to
go through the vault safe and get away


with the stuff on Sunday night. All night


Bob worked, and 1 watched and listened


while the others slept. We knew the jani-
tor visited the bank on Sunday about noon,
so Rob came down through the hole about
eleven the next day, and carefully drew the
mating over the opening.


Jerry then Tigged up prop or two with
the piece of floor ON top, and made it quite
steady, and no one could see from above
any change. About noon the janitor came
in. The bank folks Thought he didn't do
his duty, or he'd have caught us; but bless
you he cculdn't see anything wrong
fixed all that. Well, Bob went back to his
work and worked all the afternoon, but
with no luck, and so when nine o'clock
came that night, Charley and me took hold
of things. We got our jimmies and our
plug -uglies, and liked up a prop to work
the opener against. l was bound to open
any safe, once geta purchase with my
opener. They can't stand long against It


Before we got to work Gentleman Tim
went 20 the bank door and with a fine brace
and bit he made a small hole through the
panel of the door, then he tied bit of cord
to wire and stuck the wire through the
door; he felt it pulled on the other side
and knew Cute Jack was at his post. Leav-
ing the wire through the door we rugged a
spring hammer SO that it would strike like
a dinner gong, only 1t would strike on a.
book and make duh thud instead of a
clear noise like q bell. Jack was to pull
the wire and keep us posted by it of outside
matters and dangers. Then We got 10
work, and got the opener to bear. We
made little or no noise, still We slapped
work whenever Jacks bell gave one thud,
which meant danger, two thuds meant go
ahead again, while three thuds meant that
some one was either coming into the bank
or that some policeman was searching along
under the stoops, and would, when he got
to the bank stoop, most likely discover
Jack as helay curled up. Should this hap
pen he was to feign sleep, and, at the worst,
could only be made to move on. However, |
was propitious, and the bell
only sounded the one rap whenever the pO-
liceman drew near the bank We had
worked an hour, and I felt sure couple |
more would let me through the door, when |
Bob, who had not discontinued his attempts
to unfold the combination of the lock, ut
tered joyful exclamation, and the ponder |
Gus door swung open. He had hit upon |
the combination partly from his knowledge |
of locks. The inner door was of but little
hindrance to us, and we were soon IN the |
vault itself. Gentleman Tim produced |
some large india rubber bags which he had |
andinto them we hurriedly placed |
tie wealth of notes, stocks and bills which |
we found. A lot of depositors' tin cash |
boxes were ranged around, and these We
broke open and added the contents to our
pile. The bags now became full, and yet |
still more was to be had for the taking. 1t /
would not do for one of us to load himself
with even a single dollar, for if arrested in
The street on suspicion. we must have no
thing treacable to the bank about our per-
sons A low. long trunk was in the vault,
and by measuring its thickness we found
t would Just enter the sewer at the corner.


Now came the most dangerous part OF
the work. By pulling the string, the wire
snd of which was in Jacks hand, We COM |
to him through arranged signals
that we were ready to come out. In an
swer he informed us through the same
channel that the policeman was still near.
After waiting fifteen minutes Jack tele-
that the coast was clear. and one
by one we slipped out of the bank by the |
front door, and handing the bag of stuff, |
which we carried noWn the sluiceway to /
Charley, passed on in different ways, to
meet at the mouth of the sewer. 1 came |
IL,
[ gave to Charley, and then passed down |
towards the market.


waited an hour and then went to the
sewer mouth and waited in the shade of
The pier an hour or more, but none of the !
fellers came. At last slipped up the sew
sr, and found no Charley.


I then saw how had been fooled. The
villains had come together and made of
With the spoils before l got there.


/ never have set eyes on one of those fell
ows since If / had. one would have died,
be it me or him.


The bank offered big reward, and had
nv doubts as to whether it wouldn't be bet
,er to peach and claim it, and so get some
hing. But as had no bonds to return to
them, and poor clues to give them, fear
I'd they wouldn't act square with me. Now
I'm fast and may as well make the best OF
t. If you can do anything to catch 'em
III be right glad; if you can't, it can't be
helped. Only if you do your best why, as
[ said before, forgive you all clean for
hunting me down.


Little more remains to be told. The
lines given me by English Bill were sutl-
,ient to enable me to trace his fellow VII
aims: but safe, on unextraditionable soil,
.hey live in wealth, and no doubt daily re-
oice in the fruits of their most successful
,obberv. I visited Bill the other day and
old him of their safety. He didn't enjoy !
he news at all, but with many curses COM
pared their fate to his, and damned them
for their treachery. AS 1 left he said, 81
don't know as forgive you quite, but If
ever get out of here, and have chance to
shoot you from a sewer, why-Iwon't that's
ALL"


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