Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-30
THE MEADVIEIE BANK ROBBERY.
of this Bank of Crawford COun-
ty, Pa..--FuII Details of the Affair."
Probable Plan Of the Robbers
Nearly $4,000 Worth of United
States Bonds stOIen--sS9, 900 Worth
Recovered.
Especial Correspondence of the LEADER.i

Especial Correspondence of the LEADEB.I
MEADv1LLE, Pa, Jan. q, 1865.
The robbery of the Bank of Crawford
County, last night, was one of the most sin
gular that it has been been the province of
the press to chronicle. In its conception,
and in the beginning of its execution, it
showed an old and shrewd operator, while,
in the disposition of the funds after they
were stolen, the robbers betrayed haste and
indiscretion.
The Bank occupies the northern end of
large block of stores upon Water street.
The dimensions of the main room are about
20 by so feet. Facing the door, and pro-
tected by a screen, is the desk, at which the
cashier was engaged at the time of the rob-
berry. Connected with this desk is the
public counter and the clerks desk, run
ming lengthwise of the room in such way
tina, the office part of the room is between
this desk and the outer wall of the build
ing. Two windows from this room open upon
an alley. In the rear of this Office is the
Directors' business office, and in tha rear of
that smaller room used as sleeping room
by one ofthe clerks. This clerk had been
busy with the case of bonds yesterday,
leaving his work to go to tea at six o'clock.
He had not been gone five minutes, appa-
rently, when the robbery was effected. 1t
appears from all the circumstances which
were brought to light afterward, that the
robbers had deliberately matured their
plan, and had been at work upon it for sew
eral nights previous to The eonsummation.
The casing of the windows in the bank Of
fee had been so loosenod that they could be
pushed in whenever it was desired to do SO.
Marks were also found where they had ex-
amined the vault doors to ascertain if any
thing could be done with that. Probably
the first intention was to force an entrance
into the vault, but this is as secure as me
chanical skill can mako it, and the pro-
gramme then was to mako bold dash at
some time when the valuables were rot
locked ur in this strong receptacle.
That one of the party was secreted in the
building, and acted in concert with some
one outside, is beyond doubt. A large,
heavy bar, used to secure the street door of
the bank at night, and which had been in
the Directors room during the day, wss
found after the robbery lying upon the floor
near the window, which was crushed in.
An iron bar, which had also been in the
back room, was found near the same place.
It's probable that as soon as the clerk had
gone, the inside villain cautiously left the
small back room, passed through the sec
Ond room, picking up both the bars abeVe
spoken Of, and advanced into tho bank
proser. The officer and his son were busi-
ly engaged counting the money taken dur
ing the day, and did not he n the footsteps.
Fortunate for them that they did not, or
both of them Zone slender man and the
other a lad) would doubtless have been
Drained upon the spot by this desperate
player of a desperate game. His confeder-
ate, watching through the window, saw the
moment for his part of the work, and just
as he dashed the window sash in upon the
floor, the other struck the ga fixture down,
seized the box and leaped through the win
dow.
So much was skillfully done. But either
the rascaIs had not anticipated having so
large a box to carry, or their conveyance
failed to be on hand atthe public road, and
as they could not carry the box in their
arms without being speedily discovered,
they hastily forced 1t open at the back OF
the bank, and made off with large pack
age of the bonds, scattering others in the
snow in their haste, and leaving some small
packages in the OOx. The box was found
last night, and various packages otthe bonds
have been found, amounting, up to this
time, to S39, 900, leaving less than $4,000
TO be accounted for. Whether the original
robbers placed all the packages in the places
where they have been found, is a matter
decidedly open to doubt, but that is mat
ter for the officers to investigate. Some of
the best of the Cleveland detectives are here
and will do the entire matter justice.
This robbery upon one Of our most public
institutions, upon the most public street,
and at the very beginning OF the evening,
is lust such calamity as has been predict
ed time and again by those who were en-
deavoring to wake the people up to the ne
cessity of an adequate and VIgilant police
force In this town. 1t is but few weeks
since it was distinctly and plainly said to
some of those who were too apathetic to
move in the matter, -"Gentlemen, one of
these DAYS one of your houses or blocks will |
be burned down, one of your banks will be |
robbed, or one of your best citizens will be |
if this state of lawlessness goes
on, and then you would not begrudge the |
cost of a police force for ten years, if you |
could undo the calamity" But nothing |
was done, except by few who found it un
profitable to do all the talking, and raise all |
the money themselves, and this is one of
the consequences. Will the people wake |
up now, at what was so near being an enor-
nous robbery and murder combined, and |
bestir themselves, or must they see further
developments of the spirit of rowdyism
and rutfianism? Let the evil-dOers know /
that we are determined to put down, in the |
most summary manner, lawlessness of
whatever kind, and they will give Mead
vile wide berth; let them understand
that even if they are arrested they will be
released from grave offences on $500 or 500
bail with full liberty TO pay it and go, and
we shall have a town to be Stunned by i
every man who respects law and order. On
the one side, indifference, apathy and
reign of terror; on the other, liberality, |
decision and public and private safety.
The problem is a plain one, andiL is to be
solved one way or the other
CRAWFORD.