The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-08-24
Robbery OF the Third National Bank Of
Baltimore.
T From the Baltimore american. I

From the Baltimore American.l
Decidedly the most bold, daring, well
planned, we'll executed and successful bank
robbery that has ever been perpetrated in
Baltimore, or in the United States was
accomplished in this city between the hours
intervening from the close of business on
Saturday and daylight of this Monday
morning, at the Third National Bank of
this city, which is located on east side of
South street near Second street. 1t is hard
to conceive of anything more audacious
than the series of plans by which the rob-
berry was effected. Two handsome, we'll
dressed young men appeared in South
street on the 18th of last June, and under
the pretence of going into the commission
the city. No person would suspect that
the first floor of large building, with
marble front, contiguous to Exchange
Place, and in locality famous for its
money, of being headquarters of gang of
buglars. They paid three months rent in
advance (six hundred dollars and took
possession. The owner of the property
got his money and took no further notice
of his tenants, and in busy street, where
every one is supposed to attend to his own
business no inquisitive neighbor took the
pains of asking who they were. No custo-
mers were ever seen about the office, but
that circumstances does not seem to have
excited the least suspicion. The Third
National Bank building joined their office
on the south side, but most ofthe gentlemen
connected with the bank supposed that
the rooms occupied by the pretended COM
mission merchants were vacant.
The sharp-eyed rogues before they rented
the rooms observed that the bank vaults
was next to the division wall and could be
reached from the back office by digging
through some thirty or forty inches of
brick and mortar. They also observed
that there was a capacious vault in the
front Office in which they could pack all
the brick that it would be necessary to
remove. There were plenty of drawers in
which the detached pieces of mortar and
not surprising that they took the first floor
of the marble front at the landlords price
and paid a quarters rent in advance.
They made hole nearly a yard square
through the division wall, and then they
struck the template which formed the
outer shell of the bank vault. This they
drilled with as much accuracy as if they
had been able to use all the appliances of
a machine shop. The holes touched each
other, and when the four sides were fin
ished large square plate of iron dropped
out. The masonry of the interior of the
vault gave them more trouble, and they
made no larger hole through it than was
actually necessary to admit a man. Of
course the last layer of bricks was not re-
moved until everything was in readiness
for the final act.
When honest people look at what is
known as bnrglar-proof safe it seems to
be pretty strong box, but give an expert
burglar the proper tools. and secure him
from interruption for an hour or two, and
he will furnish broken lock for some
rival company to exhibit in its warerooms,
without any special effort. In this instance
one of those powerful jack screws, which
are used in lifting wrecked locomotives,
was placed under the knob of the lock, and
the lever turned until it was broken off;
then the screw was placed in horizontal
position and braced against safe which
was standing on the opposite side of the
vault, and the shaft being placed against
the broken lock it was forced in. The
door was opened, and one of the compart-
ments of the safe was rifled of it's contents.
A cast iron plate one inch in thickness was
then broken through, apparently with a
sledge hammer, and the second compart-
ment was open to the buglars. This plate
could not have been broken except by
hard blows many times repeated. The
other operations light have been conduct
ed with comparatively little noise.
In view of this astounding robbery it
might be well to inquire is such thing pos
sble as burglar proof vault. To all APP
pearances the vault of the Third National
Bank was impregnable? The only exter-
ior wall that it touches is nearly three feet
thick, and between this and its own rear
wall is an iron plate three-eighths of an
inch thick. The interior casing was made
of very hard brick, laid in cement. But
these strong walls were no protection
against the arts of the burglars. A watch
man who has always been considered hon
est and faithful was supposed to spend his
nights in guarding the premises, but he
heard no noises that attracted his atten-
ton. 1t is probable that there was confed-
crates outside who gave notice to the par
ties within whenever the Waterman tempo
rarily left the building, and it was during
his absence that the hard blows were
struck.
WHAT THEY GOT.
The booty which the robbers secured is
as follows:
Greenbacks and National bank
notes SOL, 200
Bonds, Railroad and Governments $4,000