The Arkansas banner., 1849-04-10
Daring Robbery.


 Great excitement has been created in St. Louis by burglary in the most populous and freq quented portion of the city. The bankinghouse of Nesbit & Co.,, wss entered, and the vaults robbed of abou $l6,000 The St Louis Republican gives the following account of ihe affair:
 "Rumor was rife, and the amount stolen yariously Y set down at from $30,00 10 $I00, ,00O---very few fixing it below tue first mentioned sum. That q robbery Of go extensive a character should have created geseraI feeling of surprise and alarm in the community, is very reasonable; yet great the feeling was, hardly bore any comparison to that manifested by such persons made personal in. spection of the operations of the burglars. That sach daring feat could be performed on one of the popuoas thoroH gfares of the city at any hour of the night, and but the operators themselves be cognizant of it, caused exclainations of surprise from all, and led every man to consider the extent of his security. Our city is guarded at night by what our city authorities term "a night watch" :" yet under their very nose is perpetraed. we hazard but little ir saying it, one of the most daring burglaries on record.
 The location of the building in which Nesbit X Co. have their banking house is we'll known to the business community and others-their officer being on the lower floor; the Perpetual Insurance Office being in the rear, the floor with an entrance from the passage Mai,. sreet and door on Olive street; and the Chamber of Commerce room second story, entrance Main street, from the passage leading to the Insurance Companys room. The northern wall of the building has recently been removed to allow the erection of new buildings alongside, thus leaving the passage-way free of access and fully exposed to the street distance np. The burglars commenced their operations by forcing the castings from the door frame at the end Of this passage, which being accomplished, a crow. bar or some other heavy instrument was applied to the heavy ron-sheetcd door and the bolt of the lock for. from ifa nxy certainly ono not accomplished in fey pliputes tine, they obtained access 10 the of tue Per petual Insurance Company, under which was located the vault of the banking house. The floor in this room for about two feet square was torn up, and bucks and mortar covering the vault removed to the depth or about eighteen or twenty inches. An incunibraace iR the shape of heavy piece of timber, being of the oists, was there presented which probably they had not the tools to remove and caused them 10 abandon the effort at that point It appears that they then proceeded through the insurance comPany's office to the office of Nesbt & Co.,, tho two offices being separated by light wooden door. From this room no obstacle preyen nied them from easily descending to the heavy iron door of the vault. An attempt then made 10 force the door, but, ss it resisted their efforts gnnpow ryder was placed in the lock to blow it open, but before putting that scheme into operation, another and not so hazardous plan seems to have been seized upon. Between the passage to the vault and the Inan d thickness. Through this wall hole wRs cut of sufficient size to admit the body of medium sized man, and through this aperture entrance to the cellar was obiained. From this quarter no obstacle of conseq equence prevented them from reaching the vault, in which was buried the large and massive iron safe. The wall by which this safe was encom- passed is about feet thick, built of brick closely cemented together, and through this aperture of about square feet was made. This aperture brought them to the safe. made of sheet ifon snd about three-eigbts of an iach in thickness. By the use of cod-chisels 1t is supposed they cut three sides of square hole, sufficient in size to admit the passage of mans body, and then prized the piece about, thus afiording easy entrance. In this safe was deposited the money of Nesbt & Go, a small box containing the papers of the Perpetual ln snrnnce Company, and box containing about $50, and the papers of the Citizens Insurance Co1pany One of the burglars, evidently entered the saie and this circumstance woaId lead to the impression that he was either very sma man, or one not possess ing much physical strength In the safe was a baK of specie, which, being unable to lift to his comrades outside, was broken open and its contents handed out in portions. This is inferred from the fact that pieces of the box and nAmber of pieces of coin were foand scattered about tho safe
 The amoint stolen has been vareusly estimated, but from reliable source we informed that the following comprises. as near can be arrived at the amounts carried of-S7o50 Missouri hank notes; $l4lo Kentucky ard indiana notes; Sl620 Ohio and Wheeling notes, $l02s Wisconsin and Dubuque notes $67o 10 In Illinois scfip: ssaSs s6 in gold and silver, and bag containing Sli65 in American goid-making in all $I6;5l6 3s from Messrs Nesbit X Co and one small box belonging to the Citizens Insurance Company containing ssO and the papers of tho company. A number of papers in the safe were destroyed aud scattered asoat the premises.
 "dhe baIgars, after effeetIng their purpose, ob- tsined trom the effioe above key to one of the osaT doors fronting Gu Olive street. through =hict! supposed they escaped with their booty Several working implements, sSch as chisels and crow bars were found on the premises; also, two coats which were left by the burglars in their harry to escape. To view their operations would suppose they were occupied the greater portion of the night yet persons passing the premises up 10 .s;s hour ob- served nothing to excite suspicion. Several members Of the police. with the City Marshal were actively engaged yesterday in endeayoring to ferret cut the perpetrators sf this robbery and several suspicious characters were arrested. Nothing, however. has transPired to give ,hem clue to the guilty party ''