New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-21
Bank Robbery in Massachusetts How.
nesne,.ndnes Did la Thrilling Story.


with as eh freedom as any honest citizen
! might exhibit in the daytime. There were
several of them-probably more than i've.
They came with two teams, which they put
safely out of sight in sheds IN the rear OF
the Unitarian Church. This was their base
of operations. The men were all masked,
and addressed each other by numbers.
Their first move was to enter the house OF
Mr.. HAYWARD, the cashier, and secure the
inmates The story is told by the Sunday
Herald as follows:
The house of Mr. Hayward is situated on
a hill, near the scEoOlhouse, and is about
seventy or eighty rods from the bank. The
house is some four hundred feet from the
street, and is surrounded by fine dense
growth of shIubbery and shade trees. The
robbers took a ladder which was hanging
on one side Of the pOstethce, sawed piece
off SO that it Just reached the second story
windows of the house; and carrying 1t some
i fifty or sixty rods: they placed 1t IN posi-
ton and five Of them quietly entered
through an open window. After obtaining
| access to the house. the party silently en-
| tered the various sleeping apartments
and stood ready for action by the side
| Of the unconscious sleepers. Slmultane-
Ously the sleepeTs. we're awakened by
feeling a hand grasping their threats, and
! hearing a low voice ordering them to be
/ quiet, and assuring them that they would
not be hurt Besides Mr.. Hayward and
Mr.. Weston, there we're three other inmates
| of the house-Mr. HaywaEd's daughter,
| Miss. Lucinda S. Hayward; his granddaugh-
! ter, little girl twelve years old; Mabel H.
! Taft and a cOlOTed servant girl named An
ME Ross, recent arrival from North Caro-
! lima. Each of them was handcuted, but
| the ''bracelets' being too large for the lit
| tie girl, her hands were tied with piece Of
| sheet. They evidently expected to find
| son Of Mr.. HAYWARD sin the house, as they
! visited a room that he had been occupying,
but he hadrgone home only day or two
before and Consequently did not know of
the affair till about six o'clock next morn
Ling.
Mr. Hayward is a fne-looking old gentle
man, in his seventy fifth year, and has been
cashier Of the bank fourteen years. He
was started out Of a sound sleep by feeling
hand grasping his throat, and opening his
eyes he saw two men, one holding pistol
in one hand and a candle in the other, while
the other man said Il arrest YOU for for
gerry" Mr. Hayward naturally replied that
It was the first time that he was ever
charged with any crime. but before he could
recover from his establishment the man had
handcufed him. They then helped him TO
put his pants on, and told him he must ac-
company them to the bank and unlock
the doors Of the vault. He told
them he could not do it; they had
down stairs, and his appearance evidently
impressed them with the truth Of his state
ment, for they Immediately demanded to
know where his clerk was. He replied that
they probably knew as well as he. did.
They then tied his feet together, and also
tied his legs above the knees, and after
placing knOtCed handkerchief in his
mouth, tying. it behind his head, they left
the room, leaving him lying helpless on the
bed. Mr.. Weston is a young man, twenty
two or twelty-three years OF age. He was
awakened by hearing a slight noise IN Mr..
Hayward's room, and on opening his eyes
he found man standing at his bedside with
a revolver pointing at his head.
At first Charlie thought lie would play
'possum and manage in some way to get
hold Of his revolver, which was in table
drawer, but as the man stood between him
and the table he gave up that idea He was
almost instantly handcufed and informed
that he was arrested, but no cause was as
signed. He was allowed to put on his pam
falcons, and one Of the men helped him to
put on his stockings, and soon a small cord
was placed around his neck and grasped by
a hand, ready at the slightest attempt at
Outcry to choke OFF his wind. He was then
taken down stairs and out of the back door
by four men, two of whom disappeared as
soon as they got out doors. The others walked
on either side, and during the walk to the |
bank he was hit on the cheek by a pistol
and on the other by cold blade of an open
knife, while gentle admOnitiOn was given !
him to keep still. The Unitarian Church
stands about midway between the cashiers |
house and the bank, and on reaching it |
Charlie was taken into the doorway by one |
of the men while the other went OF into the |
darkness. After waiting ten or fifteen |
minutes, a low whistle was heard in the di- |
rectiOn Of the bank, and lie was hurried |
along and the door Of the bank was opened |
and the three men entered. A light is kept |
burning in the banking room all night, and |
as soon as they got into the room Charlie
was forced to get down on his knees and all /
three crept silently across the room behind !
the counter.
Reaching up to the outer iron door of the
vault it was gently unlocked, opened, and
the men entered, closing it behind them.
The combination lock on the inner door Of
the lock was the only thing thatlay between
the robbers and their anticipated booty.
Charlie was the only one present who could
unlock it, and, fearful. lest be might forget
the combinations, his companion told him
to keep calm and not get excited. Re
minded of his position by gentle twist of
the cord round his neck, Charlie soon IN
locked the door, and opening it, the robbers
proceeded to hastily examine the result.Of |
their venture. They first emptied a small
leather carpet-hag containing papers, and
threw into it what bank bills and scrip they
found, amounting in the aggregate to a
little over So, 800 Then they burst open
another trunk, the personal property of
Mr.. Hayward. In it they found $500 in
bank bills, a gold watch, diamond ring a
seal ring bearing the letters ''E. S. T." and
several other articles Of iewelry belonging
to the deceased father Of Little Mabel. A
number OF notes PAYABLE at the bank they
did not take, and they also left some $40 in
md o.