The evening world. Newspaper, June 4, 1913, Page 19

DCO COO OOOOOODOO! COSO1HODDIDOOIOODOOSEG DOOIEDIDOGOHDOQGHHOQGOOHDYOOSO: he Romance of a Master-Crook, a Mys- @ terious “Girl in nue Loiterer an .@ Fortune. F (Copyright, 1 Violet,” a Fifth Ave- d a Strangely Stolen F 4 x x by Jotn A. Morvso,) CHAPTER I. FTY men from the Central OMece, Mfty Pinkertons and fifty men em- Ployed by James Tierney, Incorporated, a special secret service or- anization maintained by a group of downtown bankers, surrounded the ruins of t! Excelsior Trust Company Building, just north of Wall the heart of the financial district of New York City, 4 She safe deposit vaults of several financial institutions were in the hasement ePthe old skyscraper that had succumbed to fire, Thousanda of tons of ice and steel were piled on them, So vast was the wealth In cash and negotiable @everities under the ruins that the special arra: 4 ‘the fire. w York Clearing House was compelled to ements for the transaction of banking business the day The morning after the conflagration the newspapers printed conspicuously Phils tadle showing the enormous treasure hidden in the wreckage: SECURITIES IN VAULTS. ‘Trust Company. Es Aveust Leo haga Bacels'or Trust Company Mechanical Trust Compan Jewels, including the Zophar iamond .... teeceeee 10,900,000 ‘These figures, amounting to three quar- tera of & Dillion dollars, were conser- vative. The basement of the building ‘Was really a triple basement, or three floors, all consisting of safe deposit dead line delusion thrown out at Police Headquarters, and when he finished reading the morning pap he had cursed and cursed bitterly the stupidity of the wealthy clients on his list for ever having permitted in print the tabular statement informing every crook in the world that one billion dol- lars was practically ed in the streets of New York, CHAPTER Il. a ing gone up the Hine quickly from station house duty to first grade leutenant at that he got into the newspapers, bat when he did appear in print the facts TERNEY had cut his wisdom teeth at Central Office, hav- Headquarters under Jim McCafferty. He was no braggart and it was seldom id jn the case he had handled showed that ‘de shown in the books of the firms giv: ‘mn the tabular etatement. Only contents of tho vaults themselves (would prove the actual amount of the treamire imprisoned. The estimate pe one dillon dollars was not consid- @red too high by the careful financial emperts of the newspapers. The total of 150 detectives assigned to protect this almost fabulous gather- fng of concrete wealth in so small a ce were all in plain clothes, They ed the inner tine of defense against @reoke, for beyond, holding back the ‘de-with clubs and occasional strong work, were 20 uniformed men, luding all the reserves of the Old Mp, the Oak street and the Church t police stations. ° At Police Headquarters the secretary the Commissioner sent notice to the inspector fn charge of the detect! ‘branch of the service that all captains be notified that the line” was fet to ve violated and that the info: Mation should be spread broadcast that @ny man or woman with a criminal fecord found south of the line. that is of Fulton street, would be taken In: custody and held indefinitely as a Suspicious character. ‘The newspapers proclaimed the fact Une of the days of wreckage would fullest possible protection. flo the unsophisticated holders of the wealth in stocks, ‘bonds, agewels, heli down by ice and girders ae@ mountains of brick, all of these Precautions proved matter for much gratification, and when a fund was atarted for the relatives of the firemen owe had died in the battle to save downtown New York from a mighty conflagration they demanded that a fund de atarted for the police as well. Phe dead line came out of the past and the days of Byrnes real, potent Dulwark inst those mysterious forces which work under cover with fusing blast, nitro-glycerine and the various Qpptiances and arts mastered by the yeas profession. At least kt had the glamour @f old police 4 der a picturesa' Chief who had been successful in time and it excited the popular imagina- But to those gentlemen of the yese fewsion who desired to look over the ttle golkten field just north of the eorner of Broad and Wa!l streets the dead line presented no more in the way of obstacles than did the line marking the equator or the northern boundary of the Tropic of Capricorn, They took the subway express at Fourteenth street or at the Grand Cen- tral Station, or they took the McAdoo fubes from Jersey City and were landed fight in the heart of the tnanctal dis- frlet. Some came under the East River frem Brooklyn in the tube which con- nects Manhattan and the dormitory borough of Greater New York. ‘The prince of them all passed over the line more luxuriousiy, in @ limousine with his monogram on the doors, James Tierney, Incorporated, was imeelf in the crowds downtown look- {ng for this one man of all the criminals fm the world, Ho searched scores of faces and studied the backs of necks, the shoulder lines, even the hands, o: hindreds of men well dressed and poorly dressed, for he knew sot in wh Alé@ise the master yese would visit batiiwick. Blerney had laughed YY. DEARIE? You AWEOLLY LATE. ATS We MATTER Zo cash and bi ff No 14,837 we want—sir Dic! detective of good hard sen: he was strict integrity and ut of so! fearlessness. His capture of the band of yeggmen engaged in tho robbery of the Eagle nal Bank—well below the dead iine—had brought him to the attention of the financiers who desired additional protection to that furnished by the metropolitan police and by mployed by the Barkers’ Assoc ‘Tierney was engaged, capitalized as & company and given a big salary with a share of the profits should his agency widen ow ‘Tierney's staff was a good one, He modelled his work With it after th Secret Service manner, never letting men who got the evidence appear court. In this way he kept a good of his staff under cover and he wt to keep spies unsuspected among the criminals of the country. Te assembled all his available men and had a short talk wth them. You fellows got to be on che job day and night now until the last 4 lar is out of that burning building he said as he left his swivel chair and perched on the odge of his desk, Ile looked over the roomful of h kles with @ smile of confidence on his ean shaven stolid face. oimrhem guys at Headquarters ike to throw off on us," he told them, remember we have a@ license and {9 just as good ai igo of any man at Central OMe ‘He paused ,to let this sink in and lt his cigar stump. wantta tell you else.” he resumed. ‘The banker what Is back of this concern here—the head one of the whole push—Is the President of the Mechanical ‘Trust Company. That company has $6,000,000 in good cold cash in one of them vaults, That ought to be ough to make us all keep our eyes open, but it ain't all, Another banker backing us and expecting our Protection owns the Zophar diamond. It is worth $21,000 and it's In one of them vaults, That ought to be aplenty cep us awake, but it ain't all yet. Excelsior ‘Trust Company has 000,000 in cash in that building and working for that company too, boys something y I gotcher,"" said the man nearest Tierney “I gotcher,” echoed another and then another, { anything happens, none of us has @ job,” added Tierney. Ho signalled to his chief dicutenant, Reilley. The men started to move {8 the larg waiting room outside of thelr chief's ce. Ing hi “There ain't any whisperin’ in office. I'm just going to take my tho responsibility and tel! Rell- ley where to put you guys. I was out on the street to-day lookin’ for a certain fent we all got to look for now, Rellley knows iim, He helped me get two of his pals up in Westchester one night, He'll tell you all about him.” ‘Terney turned to Reilley and caught him by the lapel of his coat ‘Say, old fellow," he began. You got me? All right. Tell these huskies everything you can to put ‘em wise, Home of them know how clever Sir Dick $s, but the most of ‘em haye got Tell ‘om how to watch for an With a 1OOOQDHOOOOOSS: Bil him, Reilley, Tell each on that it is a certified check ¢er in tis kick if he gets No, 14,897. "m jerry, chief,” eald Rellley. Pris telephone on Tlerney's desk rang ply. Hullo," eald Tierney, grabbini celver and jabbing it against Yep, this is Jim Tierney. How’ What! Hey, wait a minute What th Y'don't say so! I'll be right over.” (He hung up the receiver. Every one of his men knew that bad news had come over the wire to Tier- nex. “Fine business, fine business!" the ohiet of the office sneered as he fought to control his temper, “The let ‘Spanish Lizzie’ go on $5,000 bond. She'll never be there for trial, delleve me." Reiliey's Jaw dropped. He had been with Tierney when they landed “Spanish Lissie,” alias “the Countess Perchan- doth ers for “Sir Richard Calverly, whose gallery number was 14,887. Tierney mastered is feelinge and again turned to Reilley, who seemed stunned by the new: ‘Who's the best ‘taller’ you've got?’ ‘Johnny tin,” Retlley replied. “He ean trace pretty nearly anybody if he eta anything at all to start on.” “Get him up to Magistrate Wiggine’s * THERE" must- GE SOme WAY OF REACHING THAT BvUIL, court and e him try and find out it she took @ hack or a taxi,” instructed ‘Tierney. “It ahe did he can find tho chauffeur or driver. If she took @ car there ain't any use. Get busy; the chauffeur or driver might open up a lead to her.’ Tierney waved the whole posse out of the room and sank down in his chair to Swear off his wrath. « Times without number the same trick had been played and many a dangerous criminal had escaped after long and hard work to Jand him. A crooked (aw- yer and the chief of the yeggs with abundance of money; a safe go-between in the shape of a poiitician who could pass along @ part of his “trundle” to the right party and the door of the cage Was opened without the office of the dia- trict-attorney knowing anything about dt until the bird was off and away. “sir Dick's busy again,” mused Tier- ney rather sadly. ‘And he's loose just at the wrong time. He's got Spanish Lizzie with him once more for a stall and I'll bet me old mother's Sunday sult «0 @ punkerino profundo that he's lamp- ing them ruins with the one billion under ‘em right this minute.” CHAPTER Ill. ONTAGUE JEFFRAY, private banker, with offices in Pine vag held up at the @ morning after the conflagration. His chauf- feur argued in vain with the police Heutenant in charge of the men lining the strbet, Mr. Jeffray, @ distinguished looking man of fifty, with gray mustache and imperial, stepped from his Mmouaine and aproached the ob- stinate police officer, "Here is my business card,” he aaid in a eoft pleasing voice which assured the man in uniform that there would be no wrangle. ‘My offices are in that building right tiere.” He pointed to the tall building adjoluing the burning wreckage, “It is only a atep and there are papers in my desk which cannot be replaced. Their e 'y great, There must be some way of my reaching that bullding without getting you In trouble.” r slipped a neatly gloved of his fur-lined coat and toward the inner breast pooket. He had carefully studied the face of the officer and felt reasonably certain that the Heutenant would take a tip. Inside of the fire lines, besides the de- tectives and the uniformed police and firemen, were scores of nev-apapermen, Photographers and representatives of HAT FELLOW, IJOTSON, PLAYED) FP SICK TO ame AND 1 iO To THE TIALL AD To STAY LATE lion «| @OOIIOOHONA OODHOHGOHOHOHSOHEDOOS the insurance co: ¢ reporters carried thelr police cards stuck in their hatbands, the old fire badge system having beon recently abolished. “Why, there's an office boy with @ card in his cap which seems to admit him in the lines,” sald Ofr, Jeffray aera: “Now, I Bary be able to rent that card from him just long enough to get into my duliding.” He omiled genially at the leutenant. “Five dollars would come in handy for the youngster,” he suggested. “Would you mind trying him for me? (You may keep the change for your trouble.” He alipped a dill into the tleutenant’s hand with great dexterity. ‘The lieutenant hesitated, twisted beck acorner of the folded certificate, glanced down and saw that it was Mty dollars. “Hey, kid!" allied to the boy, who answered with @ hop and a skip. “Who are you working for? esked the officer. “The Planet,” was the reply. “I'm @etting the platen from the photogra- pher and rushin' ‘em to the shop.” “Lend ¢his gentioman your card for two minutes, follow ‘him, @et it back when he gets in his building and coms back to me. There's a tip waiting for you,” the dieutenant said in one breath. “Right,” said the youngster, handing over the car Mr. Montague Jeffray turned to his chauffeur and gave him his Instructions in a low voice, not audible to the of- ficer. “Keep in touch with me by telephone id don't go farther away from this t than you are compelled to,” he . “If you find the telephone not working at first keep on trying, for the company will cut wires into the Block in @ very short while, Do you under- stand me?" “Good-by," Mr. Jeffray turned, stuck the young- in the band of his ha* and passed to his office through the line of uniformed men without interference. Tn the building he returned the boy his card and took the elevator to the Afteenth floor. ffray found only one of his em- ployeeain euite of three large, sunny rooms, He was the office manager, a short, weasened man with scant hair, amall eyes and rather iarge ears that seemed to bend forward to unusual degree, Hin face was clean shaven and the nose and chin were sharp pointed, Mr, Jeffray etarted with surprise as he saw the manager. “How aia you get here, Judson?” he demanded, F Judson grinned jn a most familiar manner. Mr, Jeffray turned a key in the tock of the door, thus cutting off entrance from any one with & pass key. ““Well?’/ho asked as Judgon nervourly rolled a cigarette and began fumbling in his pockets for a match, “Gotta match, chief?" asked Judson, Mr. Jeffray smiled at his employee's Insolence and handed hin his gold match case as fie threw off his overcoat. ODHOPHOHOOSOOO® smoke poured out of his nose and his Watery little eyes ment he got from hin in & game about mid with @ bunch of 4 o'clock we downtown. W I ducked the crowd hen the superintendent opened the door, ut. daybreak and I thought I'd tak anooze on the sofa in your room until you ehowed up. I thought you'd be In early.” Judson acted strangely for a bank manager, clothes wer from. having elept {nm them not seem to impress him an ought to hide from emoked as if he w and’ told of ha gambled for tho better part of the night, without any compunetion. “Now that you're in here, how are you going to get out?” asked Mr, Jet. fray with a amile. judson answered by going to @ wins dow overlooking Broad street and peer- ing down, shading his eyes with his two hands. “Bulla everywhere,” he aatd. ‘He looked over his shoulder and leered at Jeffray. “And what a tunch of flatfoots,” he went on. “You'd think Teddy Roose- ar was tight, in little man fairly thrilled with excitement. ‘ into the room and rolled ‘s son, lighting the cigarette. He all attention now and his la: ears seemed to farther forward, “The temperature in one degree be- ia sald Mr. Jefftray. it least thirty lines of hose playing r into the burning building. The ice is formi y timber and stick that is not ne. ‘ea, Chief.” ‘They are pouring millions of gallons 0 the basement #0 as to coat th wits with ice and protect the con. ts." 1 gotcher.” ‘early every floor has fallen to Inst four hour: ered with steel, and brick, cemented and heavily with fce, It will take many da into that mountain of ice and wreckage to reach the vaults. The firemen will dig trom the top down. They might 1 inder, but they will never think Judson jumped from hie chair, his Uttle eyes snapping with delight and nt, the The chief! You're @ wate added Jeffray. ‘Don't show your face out of this oMfce, do you understand?’ & wonder, * he cried. “I _tell_ you," began Judson as the ihowed the enjoy- a York % OOOO. POOOHS POODODO¢ a 40, you need mover look to me ain. we never disobeyed you, chief,” whined judaon. “Very well, now get the superintendent! on the telephone and tell him to com here at once.” — CHAPTER IV. T the summons from Qtr, Jef. fray'e office ing, Guperimtendent, Mr, Jeffray more liberal with hie tips than any man or firm in the building and Colline a mild case of St. Vitus'a dance tn the right hand from reaching out ¢or and gath- ering In gratuities. “Yeo, Mr. Jeftray,” said Colina, hat in hand vefore the banker, there anything 1 can do for you? Ien't there enough heat? It is very cold sir; the coldest we've had in many years. But I can get a little more Pressure, oir, 1f yeu feel that you need it.* “The heat ie all right, Collins,” sald Joffray, “What I want to talk to you about is of more importance. The fire next door has put the safety vaulte there out of business, Now as soon ae the firemen uncover thone vaulte the securities an@ money in them must be a@rop Bo right at hand will ¢e a tage, for few people want to risk carry- ing their wealth a distance through crowded streets, I Believe that the echeme will pay.” “It sounds Bke| @& money maker, oir,” Collins declared. hat have you got In the y of space in your dasement and cellars?” asked Jeffray. “I am willing to pay & good rent, and {f you get enough space I will give you a good com- ‘A real good cammission, I mean; say sbdut $00 in the beginning and then @ ealafy as one of my watch- men.” ‘ ‘This is @ mplendid offer, Mr, Jeftray,” aid Collins with delight he could not suppress. "I'll make epace for you if necessary, There ix s good room back of the coal cellar and under the engine room, ‘but I suppose that is too far jot at all,” replied Jeffray, ‘The r down we go the eafer the vauke Will be.” “IT can get you the cental of that pace, 1 know,” declared Collins, “With #0 many new buikiings going up ni of the tall ones is mating any profit and the agents will be glad to rent anything for @ falr price, “Get after the agents right now, ordered Jeffray, “but Mr. want to ask one favor.” “What is it; eirt* “Don't let my echeme become erally known, If it does known Neal 0 after that business 1 hope to Colina departed with ® nod to Mr. Judson, who peeked up for a moment from a great ledger in which he was a ing industriously, tague Jeffray was once again locked from the inside, Judaon slammed the ledger covers his high teaether and hopped from eaool. From below came the dull sound of @ emothered explosion and the window en rattled. ‘Gan ‘exploding in the ruins, Jeffray with a smil There'd’ be many Lo iacioio-ina tr oaialy lor Coprright, 1918, by The Prem Ls isapibahensbersitababahast pices aor ublishing C b sacle dlar-nimnisiin=-iadly inl (The New York Evening World.) RGR ERSTE a everything he had in hand, ¢ OOOH HGOSGOS! The Vanishing LJ Cash, Bonds and Jewels From the % Guarded Treasure Vaults U; % Lower Manhattan. excavating ‘hegine. finely kept hands, the lone, ingers of which esemed to have ti flexibuity of steel. Judson grinned as @ pleasing thought came to him. “How far below the street is the en- gine room, do you know, Judson?’ Jeffray asked. “Yen, air; about twenty fee “Ah! Then the room below will #0 down to about twenty-eight feet?” “Yes, alr.” Judson ran Me tongue tip across & cigarette paper, twisted the ends ant vegan fumbling for a match once mor “Wihat te tl you) remember?” aa ain't Anished, just eod- brick te, ent’ and mortar, “Not cone “N the concrete stope on the floor coal room,’ “And the walls there?” 1 engine room, sir.” cigar and paced the from on iy cogitating Judson amoked and kept silent. vartale ‘ols. "I have arranged for to begin work to- Jeffray. ‘They will sleep im gine room makeshift work for « full week wi the sub-tasement, and no one these workers is to enter there Ser simple reason that the th ult must be secret in ender Aansure my fubure patrons for thelr belongings. ne “I nee, sir.” “Get me a key for the main AH I been Mind to be here , a some ti bee nights a yal right, oir.” ‘ udson wan acratching away viele ly in ila” big. ledger. The seemed interminable to hien garette had creat Ung degree of torture ve fis oe 9 the other Mi wil “Judnon,” he said finaily, “we muat . Meat get bts tools and all be im, tools I But “me place swarms with detec- tives." “Colling gets coal to-day; he'll come with the Coal and come In by the my one and we need two more get him in safely?” ver been mugged on this met Kelley and Canto by telephone?’ he asked Judson. Peol air—Kelley and Canto,” replied Jud- ‘won. ‘Mr. Jeffray raleed a window Pine etreet al covered with ice. it free with axes. Millions a¢ of water were pouring into the and the ce heap was piling Mlgher higher, binding the still gathert wreckage tighter and tighter and ding as with armor the billion di treasure beneath. volume of ¢rading ‘tm ite his- tory. Desiere in stocks and Donde found themselves handicapped b: the smprisonment of so vast an amount of securitive as tay hidden at the of the gutted Excelsior Trust Com building. c Collins, I English estates kept him the had been compelled gradu in ‘hie loans and close up his banking affairs. Noon came a ‘Trinity's old bells beginning chime of the hour Collins of all avaliable basement and @pace gor one year, The pay. ‘ment of $1,000 down for ¢he first month’ rent oli the deal. Jeffray signed a check for the sum and another for for the services of Collins. “Now, Coline,” he eald, laying down his fountain pen and swinging about in his chair, “I want to give you @ @ominal salary of $100 a month as a watchman. If the business pane out well I wilt. do better by you. Until we do start, business there will ibe no watching €or you to do except that T whall expect you to eee that my men working below aré not disturbed by any one. They will have to work nigh! day to get things in shape in ¢ime.' Will eee that they are not bothered,” room asthe result of the fire. Will you?’ “Yoo, sir; I can damage mood,” nc oliine departed and Judeon-ountataa be a meen: oF ” ie qu a 9 once g iH a id ‘ £ 3s z sl : = 3 ths is se 32 «ue BE we By C.M. Payne #3 ww