Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-03-31
Extraordinary attempt at Bank Rob.
bery---An Excavation Seventy Feet
in Length---Nice Engineering.

About O'Clock, yesterday afternoon, in
formation reached the police headquarters of
one OF the most daring attempts at bank rob-
berry that has attracted the attention of the
public for long time past. A telegraphic
message from the Third Ward police station,
notified the Superintendent that the building
of the New York Exchange bank, on the cor
ner of Dey and Greenwich streets, had been
entered by burglars, who, passing through a
tunnel. dug by five weeks OF unremitting la
Dor, had entered the Office Immediately with
in the door of the vault. When the porter
of the bank arrived in the morning, he had
entered the rear office. occupied as private
room by the President and higher officers of
the bank, for the purpose of making fire,
and while so engaged his attention was at
tracted by a suspicious noise that apparent
ly came from the direction OF the vault con-
tanning the bank safe. AS the noise, however,
ceased almost instantly, and was not repeat
ed, the potter came TO rhe conclusion that 1t
emanated from the porter OF the North River
Bank, who was accustomed at about that time
every morning to light furnace in the ad-
joining basement.
The cashier of the bank, Mr.. D. B. Hal
stead arrived at about quarter before nine
O'Clock in the morning, and at once proceed
ed to open the door of the vault, but found
that, with all his efforts, it was impossible to
induce the lock to yield. He was engaged
until nearly 10 O'Clock in this vain effort, and
finally sent for Mr.. Joseph P. Hodgkins, one
of the patentees of the lock. The latter ar
rived at the bank shortly after, and for
long time persevered in the vain attempt to
open door only held by one of his own
locks. At length he gave up the attempt,
and proceeded, assisted by some Of his work
men, to cut through the brick wall of the
= ~ al hola L.
the wall sufficiently large to enable the men
to operate on the inside of the lock, and at
halfpast II O'Clock the door was opened,
only to disclose to the officers of the bank
who had in the meantime gathered around
that the whole of the bank books has disap-
peared, and the top of the safe presented an
appearance never before observed, the cross.
bars having been removed, and the chilled
iron sheeting exhibiting marks of considera.
BILE rough treatment from some well temper
ed instruments.
This remarkable state of affairs would have
probably excited more attention thanit actu-
ally did, were it not that the instant the door
was opened hole about two feet in dame
ter, was discovered in the flag flooring, i'm
mediately in front of the safe. The vault it.
self was a small one, probably not more than
four feet square, and was almost entirely
filled up with large double safe.
The police examined the tunnel and found
that it led to the basement of carpet store,
and here were found the robbers tools, and
the dirt which they had removed from the
tunnel. The carpet store and the tunnel are
thus described:
There were, probably, about two hundred
rolls of carpet in the place. 1t was on one
side, piled in such a manner as to render dis
covery OF the large hole in the wall and the
considerable quantity of earth around il very
improbable, and in TACT almost impossible
On ANOTHER side . small space was curtained
off with carpet in SUCH manner as to formla
small room, which had evidently been intend
ed and used as kitchen and sitting ROOM
A small stove was in the centre, aud around
were arranged couches of carpet, which had
evidently been used az resting and sleeping
places for the robbers. II was here that the
whisky was found by the police, as was also
large cooked ham, and . portion of fish,
together with pepper, salt, and various de-
scriptions of condiments. The burglars,
when cutting this tunnel. were in the habit
of throwing this carpet before them, thus be-
ing enabled to move on over q comparatively
clean and pleasant flooring.