Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-04-06
The Great New York Robbery.

The Great New York Robbery.
The detection of the robbers who took a
million and half Of U. S. Bonds, stock
certificates, &c, from the safe of Rufus I.
Lord in New York City, short time ago,
and the recovery of the property, is a re-
markable affair. Mr. J. F. L. WescOtt,
City Marshal of Newburyport. Mass, with
assistants Jones and Heath of Boston, and
Young. POore and Donshea Of New York,
case. 1t appears that one Jones, a New
Hampshire man by birth, about tLirty-nIne
years Of age, was the chief operator IN the
robbery. He had been spotted by the BOs-
ton police as man of good appearance,
who, with small ostensible means, had been
for some time living very fast and spending
money freely with disreputable women. He
had been in New York city for some weeks
on the look out for = a job in the thieving
line, when he learned by some means Of the
careless way in which Mr.. Lord-a very old
man-kept his property in his Office. Some
attempts BY false keys not proving success
fol the plan was adopted Of getting the
property IRON the safe-usually open in the
cay time-whIle Mr.. Lord was Int.ntly en-
gagged IN conversation with one Of the party
on business. Jones professed to be extern
siyely engaged in the hop business, and talked
hops one wanted 70 lease q store, and on
one pretense or another all four got into
Mr.. Lords Office together Mr. Lord is
quite hard Of hearing.
Jones, having the gift of tongue" was
to engage Mr.. Lords attention, while one
was 10 enter the vault and hand some Of the
booty to a companion, take the rest himself,
and the fourth was to open the door, wnen
needed. Accordingly Jones sat down in front
/ Of Mr.. Lord, whose back was on bis safe with
the door open. He was earnest, and excited
/ the interest Of the millionaire in the hop
business" Meanwhile one thief was IN the
vault lie had ascertained that the treas
ure was IN two tin boxes about a foot square
and two pocket books. He passed one ofthe
boxes 10 a companion who was warming his
hands at the crate Ere, with bis back to Nr.
Lord, and who kept the box in front Of him
The other box and one pocket book be took
himself, carrying it 50 as 10 bring his body
between the treasure and is rightful
owner,
AT one time, during the process, Mr.. Lord
rose as if be would look round but lust
then Jones was more anxious than ever to
obtain the lease Of his hop store, and plead
50 elqOuently for an immediate answer that
the venerable Mr. Lord sat down again with
out as much as turning his eyes 1t was at
that very moment that the fourth robber pull
ling his valuable gold watch from MS pocket
recolected that he had engaged to meet his
business partner up town, and must leave
he would call again. That gave occasion to
open the door, and then went out all the
party but Jones and out went the boxes
and pocket book. Jones talked long enough
to enable them to get out Of reach, when he
joined them. The million and a half Of dol
lars were carried out in broad daylight in
their hands, in sight of the crowd upon the
street, in the busiest hour of the day. Ii
was therefore the bOldest robbery as well as
the greatest ever committed
The four men went on till they came to
an entryway, where they stopped and coy
cred their booty, and then proceeded up
town, to their headquarters near the Central
park, where the boxes were opened and the
contents examined. Now it was that the |
robbers were more surprised at the amount |
OF their Ill-gOtten gains than was Mr. Lord |
the day following, when the hop merchant !
forgot to call on him-at his great loss. 1t |
was beyond all their anticipations, and their /
eyes glared and their chins dropped to find |
that they were the biggest thieves of the !
world. Here were the papers, looscd from /
their confinement, in stacks upon the table /
National bonds, State bonds, railroad /
bonds, private papers, and even the " last
will and testament" Of that venerable /
booker, Rufus L. Lord-still richer than any
man in the State of Massachusett.-already |
on the verge of eternity, having passed to |
the last score of his century, who might die
IN an hour with the deyisement of his vast
estate unprovided for
some OF the party were so staggered that
they began to ask what they should do with
1t and 1t was proposed to burn or sink in
the haroor all papers Of little value to them,
or dithoult to dispose Of. In their secluded
quarters, at the still hour Of night, they
met to determine their arrangements. Then
IL was that Jones, whose tongue was as per-
suasiye with his comrades as with Mr.. Lord,
dlssented. No, he said, though the papers
might not be valuable to them. they were to
that aged broker. upon whom they had
drawn so largely; and they should return
to him what they could not easily Use and
when 1t was suggested that such return
night lead to their detection, he took the
responsibility to perform the task, and thus
Ill the papers were saved. The property
was then divided into seven parts-those
who had got up the case coming in for
'9ares-and each one had $237 900 but 1t
Nj remained within the control of their
eader, Jones, and on his terms was given
up.
Jones was arrested on train for Boston,
Ind large amount of bonds made PAYABLE
10 Rufus L. Lord was found in bis trunk.
The result was a discovery of the whole con-
,ern.