Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-06-22
Bank of PENNSYLVANIA and Pat Lyon.

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celebrated as one of the most ingenious mechan-
les in the country, was arrested and imprisoned
in l70s will be read with deep interest by those
who have not before been made acquainted with
the circumstances Pat Lyon was as honest as
he was ingenious He was the maker of one Of
the old Fire Engines in this place. The por.
trait of the celebrated Philadelphia Blacksmith
at his anvil, now finds niche in many public
places, along side of the distinguished men of
the age. The following is from the Philadel.
phia Ledger
'This institution was incorporated the Sd
of March, 1893 Six directors were to be chosen |
the part of the State, and the first one appoint
ed by the Senate was Samuel NJ Fox, Esq, who
was elected President During the year 1898
the bank was entered and robbed Of a very large
sum of money, The history OF the circumstances
attending the commission of this robbery, the
prosecution of Patrick Lyon on a charge ofbeing
concerned, the discovery of the robber, and the
restitution Of the money, together with the suit
entered by Lyon against the officers OF the Bank,
will no doubt be OF interest to the general reader
and are briefly as follows
The yellow fever made its appearance in the
city of Philadelphia in the early part of August
l79s, and the fright and general dispersion ofthe
citizens i'll consequence, was, perhaps, one of the
reasons for choosing this time as fitting period
for punder On the Ath Of this month the bank
was entered, and the iron doors of the cash vault
(made by Patrick Lyon pried open about an inch
and a half from the jamb, but the lock was not
broken, and the attempt was unsuccessful. On
the 9TH of this same month the bank was removed
from Lodge Alley to Carpenters Hall, where
the United States Bank had been kept previous
TO the erection of the building in Third street,
now Grard Bank The books and money were
deposited in the vaults erected by the United
States Bank, but the doors We're not the same.
The iron doors made for the book vault of the
bank in Lodge Alley, by Patrick Lyon, were
taken to his workshop, in Lombard street, and
altered by him 10 fit the cash vaults and the
same locks were nsed boing of better kind
than any that could be procured in the city at the
time new patent lock was put on the outer
door, and the porters were obliged to sleep in
the building, precautionary measure.
/
| of the porters, was seized with the fever. and
died in a few days, and no confidential person
could be obtained to supply his place. Thomas
Cunningham, the other porter, slept there alone.
| Early on the morning of Sunday, the Cd of Sep
tember, the runner, having occasion to go to the
/ bank to complete some business left unfinished
the evening before, found the back door open and
looking into the banking room, saw the doors
of the cash vault also open, The porter was
asleep up stairs. Upon examination the loss was
ascertained TO be sl5S, sol G1. Immediate mea-
sures were adopted for the further security of the
/ bank and the detection of the robbers The fe-
! yer, which ragged in every portion of the city,
prevented any very energetic steps being taken.
! From the circumstances that the locks appeared
to have been opened by false keys, and Patrick
! Lyon being well acquainted with all the locks
of the bank, he was at once suspected Of the rob.
berry. Cunningham, the porter, was taken with
the fever, and died in about five days after the
robbery Lyon could not be found in the city
and it was found that he had left on the 2sth OF
August with an apprentice, TO escape the fever
. They had gone 10 Lewstown, where the appren.
tice died with the fever on the 4th of September
On the 10th, on hearing the charge against him
Lyon returned to the city, where the fever wa.
still raging and surrendered himsefto the auho
rites This was on the 2lst OF September, and
after an examination, he was ordered TO find
$3.50 600 bail, which being of course unable &c
do, he was thrown into prison. The fever pre-
vailed in the prison at the time, and while he was
there many deaths occurred he was neglected
having no bed to sleep on, and but few of hi.
friends were permitted to see him. from the time
of his commitment On the 10Th of December
his bail was reduced TO $4,000 This was OBJ
tanned, and he was set at liberty.
In the mean time, suspicious were excited a
gainst Isaac Davis, a carpenter, from the circum
stance ofhis depositing large sums of money il
different banks. On the 10th of December he was
invited TO the house Of the cashier of the Bank Of
Pennsylvania, and partly by threats, and partly
by promises of pardon if he confessed, he ac.
knowledged his guilt, and made restitution o
nearly all the money stolen. He declared thai
the plan OF the robbery originated with Cunning
ham, the porter, who procured the false keys
and that he did not know who made them. Al
ter this confession and restitution, Davis was per
mitted TO go at large. The officers of the banl
still suspected Lyon of having been the accom-
plice of Davis and Cunningham, and not satisfe,
with what he had already suffered, procured
bill of indictment against him on the 7th of Jan
nary, 1893; as party TO the robbery. This bill
was ignored by the grand Jury, and he wrs relic