Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-04-06
Mistellameo,,s.
BOLD ATTEMPT TO ROB A BANK.
New YORK. April g 1877

This morning Mr.. Ellis, the Cashier of
the Central Park Savings Bank, 724 Third
avenue, was alone in the bank. The side
walk was crowded with passers by, and
he felt perfectly secure. At half-past
eleven three young men entered the bank.
They were clean shaved, able-bodied
young fellows, and wore good clothes
pea jackets, dark pantaloons and waist
coats, and low black hats. They stepped
in quickly and shot the bolt behind them.
In an instant they were before the counter
two in front of the two openings in the
railing, and the other at the corner In
another instant they had sprung upon the
ledge, and in another they were on top OF
the astonished cashier. Not word had
any of the three spoken, and all theiI
movements were made without noise.
Mr.. Ellis was thrown on his back before
he had time to cry out, and before he
could even realize his position one of the
robbers whipped handkerchief from hi:
pocket and tied it across the PROSTATE
cashiers mouth. Another handkerchief
was tightened around his throat almost
choking him, and preventing the posi-
bility of utteringa a sound. Two pieces OF
new rope, each about three feet long, and
knotted at the ends, were then drawn forth
and two of the ruffians bound Mr.. Elliss
hands and feet, while the other held re-
volver to his head All this had occupied
but few minutes, and had been done so
adroitly as to attract no attention from the
street.
AT length the binding was finished, and
the money draw was cleared of its con-
tents, the bank officers say about Sl50.
The robbers now went for the safe. At
this moment Dr. Alex. Hadden, of 155
East Fitty-first street, drove up to the curb
in his gig. He advanced to the door. and
to his astonishment it was bolted. He
peered through the glass door, and took
in the situation at once. He shouted police,
and kicking in the large pane of glass in
the right hand door. sprang through the
opening.
At this the thieves rushed out through
the open door behind into the private room
in the rear, and thence throughAthe iron
plated door into the hallway and out into
the yard. then over the fence into the ad-
joining yard, over another fence into
another yard, and out into Forty-Sixth
street. They then leaped into wagon
which stood by the curb, whipped up the
horse and dashed away in the direction OF
the North River. Meantime nearly two
thousand men, women and children, at
tracted by DIR. Hadden's cries and the
smashing of the glass, assembled in front
of the building
Seeing the robbers escaping in the di-
rection of one of the side streets, they
broke into two bodies and started around
Forty-fifth and Forty-six streets, in hot
pursuit. Two or three policemen joined
in the chase.
Arrived at Fourth avenue, the wagon
stuck in the railroad track, and the thieves
fearing capture, jumped out and abandon
edit The whole street was filled with
workingmen, but not one of them had the
presence of mind to attempt to stop the
robbers, who scattered in various direc-
tions and escaped.
The neighborhood was thoroughly
searched by the police, but no trace of the
ruffians could be found, until about an
hour afterward, when it was ascertained
that one of the desperadoes had taken
refuge in closet in the rear yard of No.
10 Gulford Place, East Forty-fitth street.
He had on brown coat. The woman of
the house was so terribly frightened that
they locked all the doors, and did not dare
move until the intruder, about three-quar-
ters of an hour afterward, jumped over
the fence into the adjoining yard, and cool
ly walked out through the hallway and
down Forty-fifth street and Third avenue,
two doors from the bank. He stood a
moment looking around him, and seeing q
clear coast quietly lounged off down the
street and disappeared.