The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-11-04
Life and Adventures OF Three Des.
perate Robbers.


Several months since, the Bank of New Bruus.
wick was broken into and over seventy Thousand
dollars stolen aom its vaults The details of this
audacious robbery have already been published
and after being tracked for long time. and
through many places, its perpetrators have at last
been captured, aud are now awaiting trial before
the Court Of AssiZes in Nova Scotia They are
three in number. and their names are Phil Stanley,
Jack Rand and Bell Smith.
These three men, apparently, are none Of your
s,:'ai' 'aisa. rascals They display the trophies
OIL no less than sixteen memorable achievements
ei which each of them boasts; and whether they
s1aggerate the Importance and reckiessness Of
taese from love Of boastng, we will not stop To
inquire
The leader Of this trio is Phil Staniev alias Phi,
sandford, who prides himself upon being one of
tfe most artfnl villains in Christendom lie was
born IN England, and is over tnirty-two years old
HIS manber is affabe and quiet yet he is q very
devil in hardihood, and gifted with almost uuuarai
ieiled hnesse. He has the eye of lynx the sub
tlety OF cat, the quick decision of a consummate
general and force of execution which sets all OH
stacies at defiance.
lie frst became known on this continent in the
city OF Bundlo, where in single night he commit
ted three burglaries. lie was arrested for the
crime tried, convicted and sentenced to nine yesrs
anu nine months imprisonment. Unfortunately
us sentence was soon alter commuted snd true
10 MS Instincts. he FASTENED to deserve another
lhi' fellow Is aristocratc in his trade lie en-
tertsins hearty contempt for snail rascaIities
auu asplreS 10 great projects and achievements
scarcely had he got ont of prison when he MANNED
q grand enterprise against the Milton Bank of
Dorcesler; and one fine morning that iusttution
MISS 1920 Having succeeded in ths great nro
Ject, he carried on his operations in Aib.nv
Rochester, Buffalo and Springfield; sometimes
alone, sometimes with his associates But IN Buf
fao the bird WAS Gagged the second time the Grand
!. h at rnEf
sentenced to the Auburn State Prison for another
period OF nine years and nine months
In the meantime Phil had married the widow of
Jew, VINO Kept an obscure hotel III the CITY of
Aibahy. when he found himself a second time
under the res .rant of iron bars and heavy locks hs
set MS genius TO work to devise the means of reco
vering his liberty lie drew up a petition to- th-
osernor OF the State for his pardon signed by all
sne eI'paoyees oi the prison, aud having counter
Ieited che signature Of the Judge sent il on Il,
Governor seymour Ills exceilency WAS enstared
Dy the trieR; ne promptly ON an order for his
release anu i'll few days Phil found himself ont.
siie the prison walls. The traad WAS afterwards
discoVeTed, anu officers dispatched to find tbe
criminal, and after a long aud fruitIess search
they listened to the proposals of his wife who
agreed to discover bis whereabouts un,n certain
conditions. The bargain being consummated
+ fhii got on with two years and six months cun-
hhehent Ihis Inadequate punishment only whet-
ted his instincts, and gave him new faith in his
ihcky star and he soon after Robbed the Windi.am
county Bank of $23,uU0. He next turne,i hi.
thoughts upon Canada. and went to Montreal
"here he committed many robheries with mpuuI-
ty among others one OF II thou-aad dollars from
the Office of the Grand u K ItalrOad A police
.ics!' getting Clue To h.s proceedings, tracked
hlh 10 Buffalo, where he succeeded in capturing
him lie was locked up for two or three months
aud then let off for want of sufficient evidence
After getting rid OF tnis annoy a;ce thus fortu-
naleiy, he went to New York, where his wife WA.
then hVing Scarcely had he stepped out OF the
Cars when this adorable creature demanded n fur
'nahtlla Could he refuse such request to a To-
wing angel who had turned aside the poisoned ar
rows OF justice, aimed at his devoted head? The
thinS was not 10 be thOugnt of; though Phil had
not the funds, be assured he was not the man to
spoil his dignity by pilfering SO petty Il thing
10 relieve himself of the etnbarrassIneut h. sig
nailZed the night of his visit To the Metropolis Ly
breaking into store and stealing quantity OF
rlch furs, which he thought could not fail Of salts
lying the most eXtrayagant wishes of hIs beloved
but fortunately Tor him, he had not obtained the
article ready made; he had only taken the raw
materials; and though the skins were magnificent
his wife upbraided him in gentle terms for this
oversight. They must do" said Phil they
must be made up" They were accordingly sent
to a furrer, where, as luck would have it, they
were seen aud recognized by the lawful owner aud
Phil was arrested when he called for The article
80 1t has often happened" philosophicaly re-
marked poor Phil, on his way to the Tombs; these
cursed baubles of women have often ruined great
men," But he did not content himself merely
W III giving utterance to the maxims of wisdom;
but while on his way to that venerable penal in
stituIoD he slipped from the officers, outstrirped
them in the race, escaped from the city fed 10
Michigan, robbed the State Bank of SllOO0: went
10 Connecticut, pluncered several iewelry stores
in that state. robbed an Indiana exchange agent
OF Il considerable sum, plundered several OF the
principal shops. and joined Jack Rand and Bell
smith. The trio next attempted to rob oil COM
pany. BY means of false keys the rascals got into
the company's safe, but TO their chagrn found the
c0fers empty. For two or three nights they con
tinued the experiment but still found no money
Enraged with his ill success, Phil resolved not to
have all this trouble for nothing. Having careful
ly examined the company's books and acquainted
himself with their method of doing business he
forged their name and personating one of their
employees, got it discounted and left the city,
When tie note became due. the unfortunate EN-
ployee whose name he had assumed. was tried for
forgery and sentenced to Sing Sing for five years
thence the confederates went to Quebec. Their
exploits in that city having alarmed the people
and walked up the vigilance of the officers thew
left for Nova Scotia.
few weeks after their arrival there the Bank
robbery of S55,U00 was committed. In this stu
pendous affair, Phil employed all his devilish ge-
MUS. His manner of proceeding is sometimes
slow. but always sure. With biz of wax he took
imIr sion of the outside door lock and from
this model they constructed key. Another night
the robbers entered the building and took impress
sions of the locks of the drawers and vaults, and
tnaue Olner Keys as DeIOrei ana were now sure OF
success. 1t Is asserted that Phil bad often devoted
SIX months study to the plan of an enterprise and
when it promised largely, has hot scrupled to
spend $1,000 in maturing it. He POSSESSES great
powers of strategy and invention. At Auburn he
made key for securing the CRATES, aud gave it to
t. the jaor, who suld the secret to house in New
York. They got it patented, and have realized
large profits from its sale.
Ordinarily. Phil managed an affair and let hs
confede ates execute it, But in Nova Scotia he de-
parted from this prudent custom; and to this neg
lige1ce he owes his detection.
Jack Rand, one OF his accomplices was born in
New Hampshire, where he exercised the trade OF
a Iocksmth. He began his career Of crime with
stealing five hundred dollars, for which he sat
fered two years imprisonment.
After the expiration of his term, he figured in
the robbery OF the Portsmouth Bank. aud received
$4,000 Is his share OF the spoils He sent a part
Of it to his father, Rho being found with some Of it
an his possession. WAS arrested Tor the crime
Jack, NOT altogether forgetfu of the Obligations If
. son, confessed himself the guilty party to the
s0lice He was imprisoned. and his father set at
liberty; but the rascal made his escape in about
four months. At Concord he was arrested for lar
ceny. lie got out again; and in New Jersey this
modern Jack Sheppard committed heavy wharf
robbery They caught and imprisoned him aud
for the third time he broke jail. He WAS, however
recaptured in Philadelphia. and sent back to New
Jersey, where he was acquitted in some unexplain-
ed manner.
Disguised with the States, he went to Canada
with Stanley. and the two travelled up and down
the ST. Lawrence. Steamboats, expires, es, &c
were the theatre of their operations. one time
they attempted to steal box containing $4,000 IN
gyll dust but failed. Phil arrested for the at
tempt but was discharged for want of competent
evidence.
The last of this debolical trio is Bill smith, whom
we may regard the servant or rather slave OF
the other two. lie does tue most dangerous anu
,ervile work, and receives the least pay.
---
ESCAPE FIR N JAIL--A man. named John b Smi
who was coufned in Erie county New fo' k) jas.
IN a charge of stealing cattle in Wyoming county.
made his escape last Wednesday night. He ding a
,io,r md the corridor