River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-11-01
BANK ROBBERY.

Detailed Account of the Raid ON the
Statements of the amily of the CASH
ier-The Most Extraordinary Affair
on Record
Mail advices of the great robbery of
the National Bank at Waterford, N. Y,
by nine disguised burglars, are at hand,
proving the affair to have been one of
the most extraordinary in the annals of
crime. The cashier, Vanh@venburg,
and his family, were quietly sleeping,
on Sunday night, in their apartments,
in the rear of the bank. What fol-
lowed their rude awakening is thus
told by the family. Mr.. Vanhaven-
burg, cashier, says: "Ths burglars
bauled me out of bed. There were two
great, strong men, one on each side of
me; they held revolver at the side of
my head, and babe 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. 1 faltered
and hesitated as long as I 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.
I spent about an hour in delaying them
in this way, hoping that some one
might 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 approuch
of any body. Every little while one of
the men from the outside would come
in and say, "Ain't that - got that
lock open.yet? We had better beat
his brains out and end him." Then
they told me if I did not hurry up they
would kill me and blow up the safe.
The only excuse I could make to them
was that I could not do anything with
my hands fastened behind me. Then
they loosened the cuff from one of my
hands, and told me to be quick and
open that lock- 1 spent about twenty
minutes more in delay, and when I
found it would be useless to
resist any longer 1 opened the.
lock. They then placed the hand
cuffs on my hands, and remained there
till they had completed the robbing of
the safe. They had dark lanterns and
dirk knives, and every utensll for the
thorough pursuit OF the villains call
ing. After they got through they tool
me mp stairs and placed me In a red
room alone by myself, where 1 only re-
NAMED about minute. The last of
their footsteps had not died out in the
hall when got up and took the re-
volver with my hands still behind me
and went down stairs. My daughter
Sarah had slipped tine cuff from her
hand, and she cut the rope which
bound my feet. The men were in the
house about three hours. 1t was neal
4 o'clock when they left. When I got
to tie door I fred five times from the
revolver to alarm the neighbors, but 1T
was so dark could not see where the
men went to. They had left before I
got down. Don't know whether they
had a wagon or not"
Mrs. Vdnh9uenbury's Statements
The first heard was loud knock at
my room door. did not know what
to make of it. In another minute the
room was full of men. One of them
came to the bedside, and took hold of
my husband and hauled him out. 1
begged them to spare his life. They
said they would not harm HIM, but we
must keep still. After they took him
out of the room, they went looking
around the room. One of them asked
me where my diamonds were. L said I
did not have any; that we we're all
poor in the house. He said he did not
believe it. He took up my watch from
the dressing table and looked at it. /
asked him what time it was. He re-
piled l o'clock. He said he would not
take the watch. They came there for
money, and money they would have.
He laid down on the sofa and placed
pillow under his head. Then l said,
"You are one of the scoundrels who
robbed the Ballston Bank, but you
managed to get some of the stolen
goods back there again" He said he
was on the canal, ard did not
know anything about the affair.
During this time 1 asked for
my daughters, and they were brought
in and placed in the bed with me, and
my little boy, about ten years of age
We did not have any gags in our
mouths at this time. Soon my little boy
began to cry and make noise. One
of the men down in the hall heard him.
and said to some one near him, $50
and cut that - throat and stop his
noise" The man came up and took
the boy out OF bed. Z pleaded with
him not to hurt him. 10 said he would