n went to Crowe's livery
stable and hired a horse and a heavy express wagon.

"Some time before this Allen and I went to a blacksmith shop and had
a piece of steel made into shape for the purpose of prying the lock
off the car. No less than five efforts were made to take the safes
off the car at Forty-second street, on nights when Moore was
messenger. Next day after our last attempt Allen, McGloyn, Grady and
myself met at Lafayette Hall and arranged to abandon the Forty-second
street plan. Tristram, Hudson and McGuire were never present at our
conferences at Lafayette Hall. I used to meet McGuire and tell him
what had transpired, and he used to convey the intelligence to
Tristram and Hudson.

"The new plan was that three of us were to secrete ourselves in the
express car during its brief stay at Forty-second street, and the
other five were to go in the passenger cars. We three were to throw
off the safes after the train got over the Harlem Bridge. The five
were to get out at the bridge. After the three had thrown off the
safes they were to ring the bell, stop the train, get off and walk
back till they met the others. They were then to take the safes to
some convenient place, break them open, and pack the money and
valuables in two valises which they had with them, and leave the
safes there.

"On the night of the 6th of January last, the eight of us, Allen,
Tristram, McGuire, Hudson, Wells, McGloyn, Grady and myself met by
previous agreement, about seven o'clock, near the depot and
Forty-second street. McGuire brought with him two carpet-bags, a
marlin spike and a common mortising chisel. The others of us had a
piece of steel, a lock, a sledge hammer and a dark lantern. Hudson,
Grady, McGuire and myself got in between the express car and the
freight train, and managed to break the lock with the marlin spike.
We then drew back the door and three of us, Grady, McGuire and
myself, got in. Hudson then placed the lock in the staple outside,
but not in the hasp, and then closed the door. This was to save
appearances.

"We sat quietly until the train got in the tunnel, between New York
and Harlem. We found three safes in the car. We got one of them over
and tried to break in the bottom with the sledge hammer, but we found
this would not work. We then took the marlin spike, drove it into the
door of the safe and pried it open. McGuire held the spike and Grady
and I knocked it in. Having packed the contents of this in a
ca