The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-03
The Lord Bend Robbery-ReeoveryO Of
Most Of the Money and n Brief His
tory Of the ExtraordinnrI Affair.


The great Lord bond robbery, which
occurred in New York over year
ago, has again been brought to public
notice by the recovery of nearly all Of
the stolen bonds. This robbery is pro-
badly the most remarkable on record,
not only because the amount stolen was
so great, but because of the skill with
which the crime was committed, the
great efforts made to dispose Of the
bonds, and the untiring persisteney
with which the detectives have follow
ed up the thieves.
In March, 1866 Mr.. Rufus l.. Lord,
who is very old man, was sitting in
his Office in Exchange Place, when a
stranger entered and engaged him in
conversation. While talking to this man
an aceomplice entered and stole from an
open safe bonds amounting in the ag-
gregate to one million seven hundred
Thousand dollars. As soon as discover
ed the robbery was made known to the
Police, but there was no evidence by
which the thieves could be traced. At
first it was difficult to teh the exact
amount stolen or the number of the
bonds. Mr.. Lord had seen no one go to
the safe, and he could not positives
identify the man who engaged him in
conversation. In fact Mr.. Lord would
not believe the bonds were stolen in
this manner until after the arrest Of
some of the men connected with the
robbery.
The police Immediately began search
for the thieves, and in the latter part of
April or May they succeeded i'll taking
one of the criminals. But when arrested
none of the bonds were found in his pos
session, and Mr.. Lord could lot recog-
nize him. After he had been in coDtine-
ment short time this man said he
could recover Mr.. Lords bonds under
certain conditions. That gentleman
was very anxious to get them back, and
the consent of the District Attorney was
obtained to use the prisoner as medium
for recovering the stolen property. Ac-
cOmpanied by detectives he went to
Massachusetts,, aud had secured some OF
the bonds, when further proceedings
were stopped by his arrest by the Uni
ted States Marshal. The men who held
the stolen property then became fright
ened, and placed the bonds in the hands
of the ringleader, who took some of
them to Europe for negotiation. A few
were secured by Mr.. Lord, from time to
time, he paying percentage for sheir
recovery.
The man who went to Europe was
formerly broker in this city. While
there he sold but n small amount of the
bonds; but for these he failed to divide
with two of the men who had placed
their share of the property in his keep
ing. Both of these men were subse-
quently arrested, and smarting under
the trckery of their confederate, his
gull and movements became known to
the authorities. Having recently re-
turned to this country, his whereabouts
were ascertaixed. An Indictment was
then obtained against him, and officers
were applying for requisition to Sc
cure his arrest, when nearly twelve
hundred thousand dollars worth of the
bonds were returned to Mr.. Lord
through broker, the latter receiving
reward for their delivery.
There are now about one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars of the stolen
bonds out. 1t has been learned that
there were six men engaged in the
robbery, three of whom have been in
dicted.