Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-05-06
Daily Ntanrbrt sonrnal.
AU G. L s L "A.
FRIDAY MORNING, May 8. 1870
RANK ROBBERY.

The frequent robbery of banks in the
country if not checked by some means,
will compel those who have money and
other valuables to avoid them as places of
deposit, and return to the primitive method
of burying in the ground. 1t is now well
understood that these robberies are eff
fected by systematic organization, the
centre of which is in New York, that they
are regularly planned by skilled engineers
in the science of burglary, the time, the
men and the means regularly appointed,
and carried on with every needed appliance
of mechanical skill, ingenuity, holiness
and free use of money. This organiza-
ton has its qualifications in all parts OF
the country, and sends out its scouts,
spies and expeditions under discipline
more strict than that of the army. Prob
ably there is not bank in the land which
has not been subjected to reconnaissance by
these desperadoes, and few that have not
been discussed in burglarious council at
headquarters. The robbery of these banks
is no hasty affair, but the work of months
of patient planning and working, success
if attained being sufficient to compensate
for large outlay of time and trouble.
However much the villains lack in honesty,
conscience, manly worth, they are usual
" possessed of brains, muscle and skill,
not perhaps all found united in one per-
son, but distributed in the assailing gang
in exact proportion to the job to be done.
Such was the case in the Bowdoinham
Bank robbery, and such it will be found
was the case in the late robbery at Rock
land.
With such a strong organization as this
busy day and night in the work of plum
der, the means of resistance needs to
be strengthened to efiectually oppose it.
The location and surroundings of banks
need to be considered with view to safe
tv, and the vaults and safes should be con-
structed of adamantine strength. If banks
cannot afford to build thoroughly and pro-
vide watchmen, they will find, as things
are going now, that they cannot afford to
build at all; for beside being swept of
their contents occasionally, if they have
any, the public will have nothing to do
with them as repositories of treasure in
money or securities. There is no doubt
that banks may he made secure against
burglars if they will, but expense detcrs
them, and the consequence is that they
are not built SO securely as they should be
nor properly guarded. If this continues
for time longer, and not very long
time either, confidence in country banks
as places of safety will be destroyed, and
people will betake themselves with their
valuables to the stronger vaults of the
large cities or bury in the ground as an
eiently was done. The swift and energet-
ic pursuit and detection, if possible, and
punishment of persons en-
ploycd in these burglaries is a duty every
community. in which they occur, owes to
itself and the country at large. Weak at
tempts at the arrest of the villains en-
boldens them, and mild punishment ex-
cites their derision. But the most fatal of
all steps in dealing with them is to COM
pound with them for part of the stolen
property. Those who do it are enemies
to the common security and should be held
as such. The return of the property I'M
der such circumstances is small cnmpen-
saton for the license extended to crime,
and the man who does it sinks himself to
the level of the felon with whom he deals.
These burglars are organized and trained
enemies of society. and society has right
to demand that when caught they should
be punished to the full extent of the law.
Maine has not proved thus far very
profitable field of operations for them.
The Bowdoinham robbers are serving out
their sentence in the State prison, and the
speedy capture of the parties concerned
in this late attempt at Rockland, if follow
ed by due punishment, will not encourage
similar attempts in the future.