hey stumbled on the prize. The night
previous they had spent at a well-known faro game and had lost their
last dollar. At 9 o'clock in the morning they met at a saloon on Prince
street, where none but crooks consorted, and, borrowing a dollar from
the barkeeper, they took a South Ferry stage and started downtown on one
of many similar piratical expeditions. Of course, each paid his own
fare, as from the moment of starting until their return they appeared to
be strangers. Alighting at the ferry, they started up Front street, Rose
in lead, he being pilot-fish. From Front they turned into Broad, and up
Broad to No. 22, where there were a number of offices. Rose mounted the
staircase, it now being five minutes to 10, Bullard coming close behind.
Rose entered the first office to the left at the head of the stairs,
which was Lord's, and at once inquired by name for a member of a
well-known firm located a few doors down across the street. Lord was
away. The clerk, in his desire to serve the gentleman, went to the front
windows to point out the location of the firm. Bullard, who had lingered
in the hall, entered, leaving the office door open behind him, and at
once engaged the attention of the remaining clerk with a letter. Ennis,
seeing the coast clear, slipped in, went softly to the vault, and
perceiving the tin box, seized and carried it out, unseen by all save
his companions. They, seeing him safely off, found a quick pretext to
follow without any suspicion arising in the minds of the clerks. As a
matter of fact, they did not miss the box for nearly an hour.

Ennis carried it to Peck Slip, closely followed by his chums, and there
the three boarded a Second avenue car, all unsuspecting as to what a
prize they had. At the corner of the Bowery and Bayard street they got
out and entered that old red brick hotel on the corner--I forget the
name. They were acquainted and occasionally rendezvoused there, hiring
and paying for the room. They speedily opened the box, and were amazed
to find it packed full of bonds--five hundreds, thousands,
five-thousands, all payable to bearer. The very magnitude of their
plunder terrified them, and, knowing as much as I do about such men, I
am free to affirm that if a buyer of stolen property had appeared on the
scene and said: "Here, I'll give you $10,000 apiece," they would have
closed the deal at once and turned over the bonds, glad to get them off
their hands. What they did was this: Rose went