Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-10-25
EXTRAORDINARY BANK ROB-
Berry.
Burglars capture the Cashier and
his Family in their own House and
compel him to Unlock the Bank.

The telegraph has already told of
the robbery of the National Bank of
Waterford, n. Y, of 100000 by a
gang of disguised burglars. De-
tails of the affair, by mail, are at
hand, proving the robbery to have
been one of the most extraordinary
in the annals of crime. The cash
ier, Vanhaevenburg, and his family
were quietly sleeping on Monday
night, in their rooms in the rear of
the bank. What followed their rude
awakening is thus told by the fami-
ly. Mr.. Vanhaevenburg, cashier,
says:
"The burglars hauled me out of
bed. There were two great, strong
men, one OH each side of me, who
held revolvers to my head and told
me to make no noise. They took
me down stairs to the bank vault,
and told me to open it or they wo'd
blow my brains out. I faltered and
hesitatcd as long as / dared, and
finally went to work at the lock to
open it. They had my hands in
handouts behind my back and made
me work at the lock in that way. l
spent about an hour in delaying
them, hoping that some one would
come by the bank on the street and
give the alarm. They had men sta
toned outside the bank at all points
to give them warning of the coming
of anybody. Every little while one
of the outside men would come in
and say, 'Ain't that - got that
lock open yet? We'd better knock
his brains out, and end him. Then
they told me if l didn't hurry they
would kill me and blow up the safe.
The only excuse / could make to
them was that l could do nothing
with my hands fastened behind me.
They then loosened the cuffs from
one of my wrists, and told me to be
quick and open the lock. | spent
about 20 minutes more in delay, and
when l found it was useless to re-
sist any longer l opened the lock.
They then placed the handouts on
my hands, and remained there until
they had completed the robbing of
the safe. They had dark-lanterns
and dirk-knives, and every utensil
for the thorough pursuit of the vii
lains' calling. After they got done
they took me up stairs and put me
in a bedroom alone by myself,
where I only remained about a min
ute. The last of their footsteps had
hardly died ont in the hall when l
got up and took my 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. 1t was
near o'clock when they departed
When got to the door fred five
times from the revolver to alarm
the neighbors. 1t WIS SO dark
could not see which way the men
went. Ihey had lett before 1 gO'
down. Don't know whether they
had wagon or not"
MRS. vANHAEvENBURG's STATEMENT
The first / heard was q loud ral
at my room door. l did not know
what to make of it. In another mo-
J ment the room was full of men. One
of them came to the bedside and
took hold Of my husband and haul
ed him out. begged them to spare
his life. They said they would mo-
harm him, but we must keep quiet
After they took him out of the room
they went to looking around. Ont
of them asked me where my dia
monds were. I said did not hav.
any; that we were all poor in tn,
house. He said he didn't believ'
it. He took up my watch from tn
dressing-table and looked at it.
asked him what time it was. III