Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-12-09
THE BANK ROBBERY.
HOW THE THIEVES WENT ABOUT IT.
The Bank Loss, Nothing.
A school Teachers Earnings stolen.


On Thursday night the Citizens National Bank
at Middletown was entered by burglars. and rob-
bed of 10 number Of bonds amounting in value to
nearly $4,000.
The Bank ia situated 10 q room 10 the new
Town Hail. and the thieves effected an entrance
by prying open back window. In the Bank
were two flre-proof safes, in one of which was
the money belonging to the Bank, and in the
other books, papers &C., and number OF bonds
left there for safe keeping as special deposits.
This safe the robbers pried open and stole there
from bonds as follows;-
One $1,000 Delaware Railroad bond, belonging
TO j. V Crawford fourteen $1,000 Pacific Rail
road bonds, belonging to Richard Lockwood;
SO, 500 or "a 500 of U. s. bonds, belonging TO j.
B. Cazier, and $3.50 In United States securities,
belonging to Miss Al Simpson, school teacher.
The robbery Is supposed to have been COM
mitted at about o oclock on Friday morning as
a noise was heard in the building at about that
time. 1t is also rumored that strange horse
aud carriage was seen 10 the town late that night
1t is probable that the thieves became
frightened and left in hurry as their tools,
(Which were of the kind used by professional
blrgais) were left behind and also q $1,000 Pa
cifc Railroad Bond belonging to Mr.. Lockwood.
The numbers of the Pacific bonds were as follows:
4 003 5,615; 5,6l6; 5,617 5.61S; 6.463 6. AGA
p'fNof eifSo "iNS~t Nf~N'
1912.
We have received the following additional par
ticulars concerning the robbery -
The window through which the robbers effect
ed an entrance, had inside shutters out of one of
which the burglars cut a panel which enabled
them to remove the bar which was the only i'm
pcdinent to their access. Thus eHecting nn en-
trauce, they appeared 10 have proceeded directly
to the safe.
The tools they used in breaking it open were
two steel wedges, sedge hammer, and a crow
bar. which they procured from the blacksmith
shop, opposite the Bank. These appeared to
have been the only tools they used. The wedges
were driven into the middle of the safe, where
the two doors met, and they were thus forced
open. A large map was taken from the wall and
laid In front OF The safe to deaden the noise OF
any fall of the tools to the hOor.
Having forced open the safe, they proceeded 10
rob II with nice discrimination. The bonds taken
we have already mentioned. They found bag
containing $50, $40 of which were In greenbacks
and the remainder principally in five-cent pieces.
They touk the greenbacks and left the nickels.
The silver in the safe they also rejected as too
heavy and cheap for them to carry.
The other safe, in which the Bank Kept its de-
posis was not broken open, and this TACT togctn-
er with the other evidences of sudden haste leads
to the impression that they were frightened in the
midst of their work, probably by Mrs. Hanson,
lady living next door, who having been awaken
ed by the unusual noise got up aud went out in
her front yard with light; seeing no one, she
went back 10 bed. but left light burning In ler
front window, throwing quite light into the
street.
The robbery seems to have been committed be-
tween II aud O'Clock, between which hours
Dumber of persons recollect having heard noise
about the building, but which strangely at the
time awakened no suspicion of robbery, being
generally attributed either TO the stamping OF
horses in stable near by. or to other causes The
utter lack of suspicion OF the real cause OF the
noise is somewhat remarkable, considering how
many people appear 10 have heard them. No
idea of q robbery seems to have entered any ones
head until the bank was opened next morning,
and the papers were found scattered about the
room.
1t is supposed that four men took part in the
robbery, two watching and two operating inside:
The instruments they left behind them consisted
of the tools named, Jimmy" and Two peculiar
instruments used only by burglars, but which do
not appear to have been used.
All who lose by the robbery were persons oil
considerable wealth, except Miss G. G. Simpson,
whose $3.50 in U. s. bonds represented the saw
ings of several years labor, SO that her less Is
probably heavier than that of some who lost
their thousands.
The Bank loses nothing, its funds, securities
and deposits being In the smaller safe, which the
robbers did not have time to break open. The
County Treasurer, Mr.. Clarkson, who is an otfi-
Ger of the bank, loses nothing, his funds being
deposited in the Farmers Bank at New Castle.