The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-02-06
The White Haven Robbery.

of saloon at the corner OF spring anu
Thompson streets, was arrested by Mar
shall Murry, charged with having in his
possession certain bonds of the Susque-
hanna Canal, stolen from the Lehign Coal
aud Nav igation Company, at White Ha-
ven, Pennsylvania, in July last. Ten OF
these bonds, of the denomination of ST.
600 each, were found in Flynn's posses
sion, and being positively Unidentified by
the Compauy's agents, and afiidavits be-
ing made that Flynn knew they were
stolen when he purchased them, the lat
ter was held to bail in the sum Of $l0,-
000
TIE HISTORY OF TIE ROBBERY.
On the night Of the 9th of July last
the Office Of the Lehigh Coal and Naviga
tion Company at White Haven, Pa, was
entered, the vault and safe opened by
means of false keys, aud $50, 600 in bank
bills, currency, and bonds stolen.
The entrance to the building had also
been effected with false keys, and while
no clue to the robbers remained, it was
evident the job had been carefully plan
ned, and that thorough professionals were
concerned in it. On discovery of the loss
the officers of the Company telegraphed
| Finkerton' National Police Agency, and
detectives were at once detailed to work
up the case. The steps taken by them in
this matter are not revealed, but the re
suit is before us in the arrest of Cyrus
Starks, S. l.. Spencer, Elias Griffin, aud
Emanuel Sinclair, all of whom have been
| boE h. I
(Penn.) Court, and are either in conGne
mcnt or under heavy bonds to appear for
trial at the April term of that Court
A fifth party-Shinburn, alias Baker
alias Walker, &c-was also arrested, but
escaped from the officers aud is again at
liberty.
1t appears that the robbery was planed
as earl y as March last, Cyrus Starks, pro-
prietor of the White Haven Hotel, in
White Haven, being the snggester of it
Starks has heretofore borne COOL re
putation, is somewhat of politician, and
is brother of the Starks now Burgess OF
Wilkes Barre, and late candidate for the
Legislature from the Luzerne District -
In March last Starks began casting en-
vious glances toward the strong boxes of
the Coal and Navigation Company. and
sending for his friend Griffin, who resides
in Scranton, explained to him that a raid
on these boxes, If properly planned, would
be highly remuneratIve. Griffin, having
no conscientious scruples, readily ac
quiesced, and agreed to procure profes
sional aid to carry out the project. Starks
was able to supplYta correct diagram OF
the oficc-showing position. Of vault, safe
&c, aud also a wax impression of the Office
key. He further informed Griffin that
the agent carried all the keys about his
person, but that possession OF them might
be obtained by entering his house, aud
also that large sums of money were kept
in the safe only on payday, which wa>
usually between the Sth and 10th Of each
month
Armed with this information, Griffin
returned to Scranton, and went thence to
Dunmoge, where he consulted with his
friends, Spencer and Sinclair. 1t was
then decided to call in the services OF
Shinburn, who was thorough proles
sional, and had aided the party before
having been associated with Sinclair and
Squire f. B. HoIIister of HolIistervile.
Penn. IN the Waymart Robbery, six
months previously.
Shinburn readily answered the sum
mons, and having received such informa
tion as Sinclair and Spencer were able to
give, visited White Haven by night, en-
tered the Agents house. and then his
bed chamber, took from the pockets of
the sleeping man all the keys, safe, vault.
&c., of which he took impressions in wax.
and having returned the keys and re
moved all signs of his visit, departed i
The impressions were given to Griffin, BY
Griffin to Sinclair, and by the latter to
yonng Englishman, an employee of
Scranton machineshOp, who made the
keys at his house. When completed Shin
burn was again summoned frSm New
York, again visited White Haven in the
night this time entering the Coal Com
Panys Office and opening the various doors
and the vault the safe key was found to
be Imperfect. and was returned to the
young Englishman, who remendied the
defect, VIXEN Shinburn again entered the
office, and found all his keys in perfect
working order, the vault and safe open
ing to his touch
The thieves now waited only the arri.
val OF the money to do their work but al
though the preparations just mentioned
we're completed in March, and Shinburn
entered the Office on the occasions of the
April and May payments, it was not until
} July that circumstances favored them
On July 5th Griffith hired a team at
the livery stable of Starr Allen, in Dun.
more, representing that he would be alb |
sent number of days A short distance
out Of town he met Sinclair and Shin
burn, to when he surrendered possession
Df the turn out, returning to town him
self. Sinclair then drove to rendez-
rous in the woods near Wilkes Barre.
" here they ramoined until tba OH A.