Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-12-01
From tho n. Y. Hefaid.l
Robbosy Of Windhan County Bank.


Oper 1Ienty Thousand Dollars Stoasn-Sac-
cessful pursuit and arrest q Me Burglars
/. scish the money. .
A most audaeious burglary was commit.
ted on Friday night last, on the Windham
County Bank, Connecticut, and over TWEEN
" thousand dollars in specie and bank bills
taken from its vaults. 1t appears that the
establishment 10 left every night in charge
OF boy abont fifteen years Of age, and a
large powerful watch dog. The boy sleeps
in room near the vault, which is secured
by three iron doors, and 10 absent for an
hour or two every evening ct tea time
During his absence the bank is thoroughly
secured with lock and bolt, and entrusted to
the care Of his canine companion. On Fri
day evening last, he was entering the bank
az ssual, after his return from supper. but
he had hardly got inside the door before ne
was seized by some men who were inside
and who bound him hand and foot so as to
prevent his escape. They also blindtolded
add gagged him to prevent his giving any
alarm; and throwing him in this helpless
co pdition on his bed, threatened 10 blow his
brains Quit he made any noise. While ~
ing here he heard them breaking open the
doors leading into tie vault, but they were
so well secured that it was two o'clock in
the morning before they finished their work.
The first two were wrested off their hinges,
but they had to bore their way through the
third, and then cut it down, before they
succeeded in getting at the money.
The boy says there were three man in
the bank when he entered it, and that they
left about = quarter past two with their
plumber. Soon after their departure he
sontrived to get free, aud made his way out
through the window, the burglars having
securep all the doors to facilitate their es-
cape After leaving the bank he made the
best Of his way in the dark to the residence
Of the cashier, whom he informed Of the
transaction. He then returned in compa-
ny with that officer, getting in through the
window, but they could find no burglarous
instruments or other traces Of the robbers,
further than those left BY them in their eff
orts to get into the vault The dog, it ap.
pears, had been poisoned by them, but not
fatally. On searching further, however,
they found some of the tools under the rail-
road bridge, at a short distance from the
bank. It appears that they had made for
the depot after the commission of the burg
larry, and getting possession Of hand-car
had started for Norwich, and on their ar
rival there had thrown it off the track.
They were in Norfolk, it appears, at six
o'clock on Saturday morning, and suisse
quently stopped at the Willimantic Hotel,
about four miles from the bank. Informa-
ton Of the robbery was telegraphed to Bos-
ton to the Chief Of the Police and his off,
GERS. Ham and Heth, the dedutles, were
cent in pursuit These officers started i'm
mediateiy on the receipt Of the intelligence
for the hotel, and there concocted plan
which led to the detection of the burglars.
They knew that they whould make for Eel
lows Point, New London or Stonington,
and they accordingly sent reliable persons
to each Of those places. As it was believ-
ed that they would 90 to Fellows Point,
the hotel keeper, who said he could identify
them. was sent there, the officers agreeing
also to proceed there. The result proved
that they were right in their belief ,as they
succeeded in finding them secreted on
board the steamboat at that place. On
arresting them. the officers found in their
possession $1,000 in gold, over 81 900 in
Wyndham Bank bills, and $4,000 foreign
bills. A carpet bag containing the $ll,-
900 was found after they had been taken
to Norwich, secreted in the forward part Of
the boat. tits supposed that oil the money
has been recovered.
The parties are al present in Nor
wieh Jail, VIII ere they will rem ain until their
trial.