The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-16 00:00:00

ROBBERIES IN NEW YORK

The American papers bring the details of two extra-
ordinary robberiee—one committed on the Manhattan
Savings bank, Icroadwity, New York, aned the other at
the residence of a Mrs. Ogden, a fashionable boarding-
house in Fifth-street. From the daring and well-
planned manner in which both robberies were executed,
it would seem as if members of the same gang were em-
ployed in the two.

- Mrs. Ogden, who occupied the lower apartments of
her house in Fifth-street, was awakened during the
night and saw two masked men in her room. Before she
had time to raise an alarm, she was seized by the men,
who covered her face with a towel steeped in chloroform.
She endeavoured to shout, but the drugged cloth was
kept up to her mouth until she betatne insensible. In
the morning, when the lady recovered consciousness, it i
was found that she had been robbed of 800 dole, n
cash, of her two diamond rings, and of other valuables.
The Manttahan Bank robbery (already made known
through the cable) was ekilfully designed and auda-
ciously carried out. The time selected for the project
was a Sunday morning, between six and nine, and the
robbers appear to have measured the time between the
departure of the night watchman and the opening of
a barber's shop situated close by, as the only safe
intervals in which to cowmit the robbery without
attracting attention. The burglars, who were masked,
entered the janitor's sleeping zoom at six a.m., hand-
cuffed him, his wife, and mother•in-law, and forced
him to surrender the keys of the vault and the secret
of the combination of the lock. They then entered
the vault, where they remained nearly three hours,
breaking open the safe and rifling it of a portion of its
contents. They carried away 2,747,700 doh:, in bonds
and 11,000 dole, in cash. Of the bonds, over two
millions are registered, and 168,000 in _dollars are pay-
able to the order of the bank. The numbers of the
bonds are known, and it is not believed that the thieves
will profit largely from the robbery. The officers on
examining the bank, found the outer door of the vault
open, but with no marks of violence on it. Inside, at a
distance of 12ft., was asafe about 7ft. high. The door of
this had been forced, and the presence of "jemmies,"
of a heavy sledge-hammer, and otherimplements used by
burglars, showed how this had been accomplished.
Four books had been placed on the floor to prevent
noise as the heavy iron door fell. Of the four com-
partments exposed to view only two were opened, one
containing the daily cash, and the other valuable
securities. The burglars hadlpttempted in vain to
open the doors of the other compartments. There were
several thousand dollars in silver coin which the
burglars did not take. The directors of the bank on
the day following the robbery had the following notice
issued :—" The Manhattan Savings Institution was,
on the morning of Sunday, the 27th, robbed of
securities to the amount of 2,747,700 dole., of which
2,506,700 are registered and not negotiable. For the
purpose of preventing loss to depositors, it is ordered
that no payments without 60 days' notice be made, as
provided by the bye-laws af the institution. The
surplus of the bank is more than sufficient to cover any
probable loss that may be sustained by reason of the
robbery." When the mail left New York no clue had
been obtained of the robbers.