The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-17
"A bank Clerk Assaulted and Robbed
0t S3,2O0.OOO i'm Checks and Notes.
From the New York Tribnne 1.tb


From the New York Tribune, I4th
yesterday morning Louis J. Kingsley,
e1erk IN the Bank Of the State of New
ork' was returning from the clearing
mouse with black leather bag, contain.
ing s3,600,OO0 worth of checks and $500 in
oank notes, and when near the in.ersec.
t!on OF William and Wall streets his atten.
ton was attracted by handsome Portland
slelgh and bay mare which faced the street.
instead OF being drawn up beside the walk.
AS inc young man came abreast the sleigh
an unknown person struck him on the side
OF the head, seized. the bag, and jumping
into the sleigh, was at once driven of
at high speed by one of the two men
who occupied it. Kingsley, still hold
ing fast to the bag with one hand, and
ciin,gln1g to the sleigh, was dragged nearly
a block past the bank building in which he
IS employed, his assailant all this time
striking him on the head, face, and hands
to get him off. At length he relinquished
MS hold, and the party, after driving
through several Of the downtown streets,
dashed up Pearl street and van
lshed. Neither the boy nor any of
those who witnessed the assault can posi-
lively Identify either the perpetrator of the
outrage or his abettors, so rapidly was it
done. One Of the fellows, in his flight.
lost his hat, and this may possibly lead to
the detection of the owner and his accom-
pllces. Young Kingsley suffered several
painful Commissions on the face and hand,
but is not seriously injured. He had taken
to the clearing house about 100000 in
checks upon various banks, and conside-
rable sum in bank notes. Of the checks
received by him in return, $4,000, 900 were
certified, and the remainder non-certifed.
Had the robbers committed the assault
when the messenger returned from the
bank in the afternoon: they might have Sc
cured very large amount of money in
bank notes, as the bank differences are
then paid in cash. The robbery having
been committed, every known detail was
at once telegraphed to the Police Central
| office, and thence communicated to all the
precincts and to the police of the country :;
but up to late hour last night no arrests
had been made. The various banks whose
checks had been stolen were also notified,
and payment was stopped. 1t is hardly
probable, however, that these artistic
hlghwaylnen will present any for pay
ment. 1t is supposed that the robbers are
the same that robbed the Williamsburg
bank teller in William street some time
ago, in broad daylight, Of o bag containing
money and checks to the value Of sl1, 900 !;
the same, probably, that robbed the
cashier of Higgins& Co., dealers in carpets,
while he was on his way with carpet-bag
containing $4,000, with which to pay the
workmen in Messrs. Higgins & Co.'s fac
tory. In that robbery they were driving
in cart, and leaped therefrom, knocked
the cashier down and robbed him; after
which they hastily jumped into the vehi-
Gle and drove off at high speed. 1t is also
conjecturcd that these are the fellows who
attacked the cashier for the firm of Roach
& Sons, iron founders, while he was walk
ing in RivingtOn street with a bag con-
tanning 200 in bank bills. In this last
attempt, however, the thieves were unsuc-
cessful, their intended victim proving more
than match for his assalants, despite the
severe wound which they inflicted on his
head in the beginning of the encounter.
In each case the mode Of attack and flight
has been the same; in each case have they
been made in broad daylight; and in each
case so rapidly has the deed been consunr-
mated that no one of the party has yet
been positively identified. The practice
Of intrustipg the transmission of large
sums of gold and bank bills to the custody
of youths is practical invitation to robbers
Of this class. Nothing is more common
than to see boy passing along the street
with bag of gold or large bundle OF
bills carelessly carried under his arm, and
nothing could be easier for a thief than to
snatch the treasure and vanish in the
crowd that surges through Wall street du-
ring the busiest hours Of the day.