The E-Sylum:  Volume 3, Number 29, July 16, 2000, Article 8

SEWER STORIES 

   Carl Honore writes: "The sewer story on last week's Featured 
   Web Site reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and "The Red 
   Headed League", where the villain tunnels under the street to 
   emerge from a sewer into the storage room of the bank." 

   For those who didn't drill down to read the story on the 
   Bank of England web site, I'll excerpt it here: 

   "About 1836 the Directors of the Bank are said to have 
   received an anonymous letter stating that the writer had access 
   to the Bank's bullion.  Somewhat melodramatically he offered 
   to meet them in the bullion vault at any hour they chose. 

   Although disbelieving at first, the Directors were finally 
   persuaded to assemble one night in the vault. At the appointed 
   hour a noise was heard from beneath the floor and the 
   mysterious correspondent suddenly appeared from below 
   merely by displacing a few floor boards. 

   Apparently he was a sewerman who, during repair work to the 
   sewers, had discovered an old drain which ran immediately 
   under the bullion vault. He might have carried away enormous 
   sums but in fact nothing had been removed and for his honesty 
   the Bank is said to have rewarded him with a gift of £800." 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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