Connecticut western news., 1872-10-25
The Waterford Bank Robbery.

The banking house of the Saratoga | County National bank was the scene of an audacious outrage. Between the hours of one and four gang of burglars obtained entrance to the bank building, and proceeded to the apartments occu- pied by the cashier, MT. Van Hoeven- bergh, and his family, which consists of wife, two daughters, aged eighteen, and one son eight years of age. These apart ments are situated on the second story of the building. All the occupants were
 bound and threatened with instant death in case of an outcry. MT. Van Hoeven-
 bergh was forced to accompany the ruff
 fans to the counting room of the bank,
 where he was led to the vault which he
 was commanded to open. He endeavored
 in various ways to securedelay, and ac
 tually succeeded in detaining the bur
 glars an hour. At last two of the men
 placed loaded revolvers at his head and
 threatened to blow his brains out if he
 did not forthwith open the vault. He
 then complied with their demand and
 exposed to the view of the thieves all the
 precious contents of the vault. They
 made short work of all the contents.
 Five hundred thousand dollars worth of
 stocks and bonds and $9, 800 in money
 were piled up in a heap and carried
 outside to wagon which was waiting.
 MT, Van Hoevenhereh was taken up
 stairs and bound so that he could not
 move. The robbers then departed with
 their plunder. A few minutes afterward
 one of the cashiers daughters managed
 10 secure her own freedom. She pro
 ceeded forthwith to extricate her father,
 who directly afterward opened @ street
 door and fired two spots from his revolv-
 CT. The noise made by the weapon
 aroused the villagers who soon gathered
 around the bank, too late to secure the
 thieves, but in ample time to hear the
 story of the robbery. The bonds and
 stocks were all deposited in the risk of
 the owners, and tte loss consequently
 falls upon private parties.
 MT. Van Hoevenbergh made tLe fol-
 lowing statement to 8 reporter:
 The burglars hauled me out of bed.
 There were two great strong men. One
 on each side of me held revolver at the
 side of my head and bade me make no
 noise; they took me down stairs to the
 bank vault and told me to open it or they
 would blow my brains out. I faltered
 and hesitated as long as I dared, and
 finally went to work on the lock to open
 it. They had my hands in handcuffs
 behind my back and made me work at
 the lock in that way. spent about an
 hour in delaying them in this way, hop
 ing some one would come by the bank
 on the street and give the alarm. They
 had men stationed outside the bank at
 all points to give them warning of the
 approach of anybody, Every little while
 one of the men from outside would come
 Tn and say, ''ain't that --- got that lock
 open yet? We had better :blow his
 brains out and end him." Then they
 told me if I did not hurry they would kill me and blow up the safe. The only
 excuse I could make them was that I
 could not do anything with my hands
 fastened behind me. Then they loosened
 the cuffs from one of my hands and told
 me to be quick and open the lock. l
 spent about twenty minutes more in de-
 lay and when I found it was useless to resist any longer I opened the lock. They then placed the handcuffs on my
 hands and remained there till they had
 completed the robbing of the safe. They
 had dark lanterns and dirk knives and every utensil for the thorough pursuit of } the villains calling. After they got
 through, they took me up stairs and placed me in bed room alone by myself
 where only remained about a minute. The last of their footsteps had not died out in the hall when I got up and took the revolver with my hands still behind me and went down stairs. My daughter Sarah had slipped the cuff from her hand } and she cut the rope which bound my feet. The men were in the house about three hours. It was near four o'clock . when they left. When I got to the dool } I fired five times from the revolver to alarm the neiehbors, but it was so dark I could not see where the men went to- } Don't know whether they had a wagon ] or not.
 [ MRS. VAN HoEvENBERGH'S STATEMENT 5 The first thing I heard was loud 3 knock at my room door. l did no ? know what to make of it. In another 3 minute the room was full of men. One l of them came to the bedside and took s hold of my husband and hauled hin @ out. I begged them to spare his life !, They said they would not harm him s bat we must keep still. After they - took him out of the room they went 7 looking around the room. One of then '' asked me where my diamonds were. : said I did not have any-that we were s all poor in the house. He said he die e not believe it. He took up my watcf e from the dressing table and looked a b it. I asked him what time it was. H. y replied, one o'clock. He said he would e not take the watch, that they came . there for money and money they would s have. He laid down on the sofa apt It placed pillow under his head: Ther '- I said to him, "You are one of the d scoundrels who robbed the Ballstor J. bank, but you managed to get som. j. of the stolen goods back there again. It He said he was on the canal and did no l. know anything about the affair. Dur :. ing this time I asked for my daughters |, and they were brought in and placed e in the bed with me, and my little boy " about ten years of age. We did no 7, have any gags in our mouths at thi' d time Soon my little boy began tc
 cry and make noise. One of the me1 1t down in the hall heard him and sait ], to some one near him, ''Go anu > cut that (foul name) throat and stoI ;: his noise." The man came up and tool d the boy out of bed. I pleaded with hin not to hurt him. He said he would d not. He took him away and placed hin l. in dark clothes press, and covered > him up with bed clothes and closed thu l. door on him, ,and then went down stairs ,, again to where the men were at worl 't on the safe. All time they were in m, If room they were very polite to us; the. F. got pillows and put them under ou }, heads, and when I asked for my littl l., boy whom they had taken away, the. It assured me that he was safe. I asked on 'f of the men how he got into the house e and he said it made no difference to me l. they got in and were there for money d and would get it before they left Sh n house. During this time some of tn 1T men were in tue hall, some in the room