From Boniface to Bank Burglar; Or, The Price of Persecution / How a Successful Business Man, Through the Miscarriage of Justice, Became a Notorious Bank Looter

by George M. White

Perhaps Billy’s early training made him a most intelligent crook. For aught I know that was the case, though I won’t pretend to affirm so, but I will declare, however, that he was a politician before he became a bank watchman. He was of middle age, not over strong physically, but passably good-looking, and perhaps a little proud of the latter. Now, watchmen, as a rule, have to be corrupted after becoming accustomed to a life in a bank—which nearly always means mingling with those who have much to do with large sums of money. There comes a yearning for wealth, and temptation usually plays havoc with a fellow when it finds him in that mood. With Billy it was different. He seemed to have been corrupted before he alighted at the bank watchman’s station. At all events, I found him ripe for almost any crooked scheme in which he could use his position in a bank as a means to financial success. How I employed his pliable talents and with what willingness he used them, and with what degree of success, I shall in due time demonstrate.

The Corn Exchange Bank, one of the most conservative, yet strongest, financial institutions in the Quaker City, was situated on Chestnut, at the corner of Second Street. It had a large patronage and was never without watchmen inside, two at night and one in business hours. The watchmen employed at night were on duty from six in the evening until seven in the morning, with the exception of Sundays and holidays, when they were called on for day duty as well. But to business.

My first move was to learn something about the vault. It was on the main banking floor, in the open, and constructed of heavy solid masonry. This, almost impregnable because of its excellent workmanship and thickness, was further guarded inside by a wall of steel T rails, such as are used for railway tracks. Leading to the vault there was an especially strong door of fine steel, and still another of steel lattice work. In the vault were two steel safes, in each of which was a strong box, or money chest. In these chests were stored the millions of cash and paper constituting the entire funds of the bank.

The outer door to the vault was secured by an improved Yale combination lock, and the inner door was guarded by a Yale key lock. The receiving and paying teller each had charge of the combination of his respective safe, and each had the key to the money chest in his safe. What I found early in the game, of considerable import to me, was the fact that Billy had, as the day watchman, practically entire control of the bank for an hour or less every business morning. As I have said, the night watchmen finished their work at seven A.M., when they were relieved by Billy. The clerks reported for duty an hour later.

I determined to begin my scheme at once by making a call on Billy at the bank, and it wasn’t an unexpected one either, for I had conferred with him. Accordingly I journeyed there and was ready to be admitted when the night watchmen took their leave. I was careful that they should not set eyes on me, as there was a big job ahead and big game in it, and I knew the greatest amount of caution was necessary. I waited in sight of the Second Street door, the main entrance being kept locked until the arrival of the clerks. Scarcely had the night watchmen’s footsteps died away, when the Second Street door was cautiously moved ajar, and Billy’s head popped out. Making a careful survey of the surroundings, and evidently satisfied that the moment was favorable, he motioned me to enter.

I grunted with satisfaction. It was a long way to success, it occurred to me—getting inside of an institution of this character. The thought was but of the moment, for I had work to do and precious little time in which to do it. Directly I had taken in every detail of the bank room. I made a clear negative of it, and, so to speak, stowed it away in my optical gallery, for future observation when perhaps daylight might not be at hand. The vault, as Billy had told me, was a tower of strength. In fact, I can’t recall of ever having seen a stronger one. Added to this was another obstacle to be overcome, and that was the situation of the vault. It was in plain sight, through a window, of any one passing in Second Street. I carefully examined its outside mechanism and took pencilled notes and mental ones also. I did all I could before the time arrived for the clerks to come on duty. Having made a general survey, and, in fact, studied the situation fairly well, I knew that my next move would necessitate a return to New York. Therefore, bidding Billy be of good cheer and assuring him that everything looked hopeful, I journeyed back forthwith.

First, I paid a visit to the Yale Lock Company’s salesroom, representing myself to be a down-town business man in search of a first-class combination lock of American manufacture.

“I want,” said I, to the gentleman who attended me; “an American lock for one of my correspondents in Glasgow, Scotland. It is to be used in a banking office.” The salesman was certain he could accommodate me and did, by permitting me to examine many intricate locks at my leisure.

“This one will suit me,” I concluded at length. It was a duplicate of the Yale lock on the outside door of the Corn Exchange Bank vault. He offered to forward it to Scotland, but as that didn’t serve my purpose, I paid him two hundred dollars and said I’d take it with me at once.

In a few hours I was back in Philadelphia, and the next few evenings I made my headquarters at Peter Burns’s house. For the time being I became the professor, and Billy, the day watchman, the pupil. He was very apt, I must confess,—far ahead of John Taylor in the Ocean Bank job, though the latter was most satisfactory under instructions. I put Billy through the same course of study to which Taylor had been subjected. I told him of the part Taylor played in the Ocean Bank job and the profit that came to him through its success. In an exceedingly short time I had the day watchman well taught and almost to the bursting point with enthusiasm. Having him so well in hand, I instructed him to try his luck on the vault lock. It wouldn’t surprise me, I told him, if he wasted many hours before attaining success. It was agreed that I wait near his house in Spring Garden Street, each evening, in quest of his report. Accordingly I was on hand. Several times I met the lad, only to know by his face, before he could tell me, that he was meeting with disappointment. It was, perhaps, the tenth evening after I had given him his first lesson on locks that I was in the vicinity of his house, anxiously waiting for him. Presently I saw him coming, a considerable distance away. The street lamps shed none too much light, yet I could divine, from his general manner, that he had good news. When he drew near so that I could see his face, it was lit up with the fire of success. I knew it right away. He was excited to the limit.