South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-11-14
An Attempted Bank Robbery
In Wilmington, Del.

eiai says:
The cashier. Mr.. Samuel Floyd, resides in the
rear part of The bank building, and while al tea
last evening, about $50 o'clock gentle rap
was heard at the outer door Of the basement in
hich toe table was spread There were at the
table Dir. Samuel Floyd and his wife Mis-, Mary
+. Floyd, sister to SIR. Floyd and his two nieces
Miss Irene Chardou and Miss Jennie f. Hates, the
latter about sixteea years Of sge At first the
Knocking at the door was supposed 10 be only "A
slight rattle produced by the wind but "a il con
unued, Mr. Floyd arose 10 open the door, but a
gsinst the entresties of bis wife, she urging him
to pay no heed TO the summons.
Mr.. FLOYD states To US that he did not suppose
he should lind any one finding the door, or il
80 il would be other than some friend who had
called, and even after the door opened he
did not fully comprehend the purport OF what
transpired, surprising that the man who stalked
In was some simple person who was petpetrating
JOKE upon him. But his mind soon diss.
bused of this idea, for as the door swung back
tall and very stout man, who seemed TO be the
leader Of the gang, rushed in with face masked
aud closely muified. and with uplifted hand com.
manded silence. lie closely followed by
four others Mr. Floyd thinks, although other
members OF his family Insist that there were Eve
one of whom pointed a pistol at Mr. Floyd's
head. while the others aandcuffed him and aged
/ into silence the temaiOing members of the fami-
! ~. The door ia the eanwhile had been clos
ed, Miss Hates, seemingly in n swoon, sank
D
while the cook crawled under another table ia
the room. Mrs Z twas dsl osed at fist TO upbraid
the burglars, and did TO them that they
would cause the death OF her niece, TO which
they somewhat tenderly replied that they would
| ''not injure the precious dear or hut a hair ia
the heads OF any of them, if they would only
keep quiet Mr.. Floyd states that during the
few moments hey were in the room they were
not at all rough. and that their whole manner
gave evidence OF culture and refinement
PerCeiviug the coored woman to crawl under
the side table the burglars undertook to draw
1 her out, and while doing Miss Hates awaited
| herself OF the opportunity TO crawl from her
hiding place, and quickly pulling chair from
/ against the hall door which the burglars had
placed there she onened it, g!ided through clos
I cd ii after her and then started tc run up the
stairway TO escape into Sixth street through the
urper door, being all the time closely pursued
lay one Of the burglars who had been directed by
! the others 20 ''ca,ch that girl" In her haste
and fright Miss Hates fell upon the stairway. but
/ quickly reganed her feet, completed the ascent
| ran along the hallway, unchuned the door,
! passed out into the street Hnd sought safety in
/ Mrs. Gordon trimming store, just above Nc.
/ lenr ;, never having attempted To scream in all
her narrow escape. Her purSuer followed her
quite up 10 the door and even ptered i'm lhrong h
the glass, hut finding others in there he hastily
/ retrestCd aud notifying his confrderRtes that an
alnrm was given, they hurried from the room
! without distut binc any thing or Offering insult
=. a.
who WIS Standing hludcuHcl by the door
The cJlured woman followed tie burglars 20
the door, aud AS they quilted it she began lusti-
, u To scream police" Policeman Clibury, who
was on duty. CHANGED at that very moment to
| approach Sixth AMI Market streets and learning
that the robbers had 'icl he save chase. Chief
Grmdy, who was at headquarters =, and officer llct-
trick who Wss somewhere in the neigh pUrhoOi
hearing the cries of the women folks, also ran To
the scene. aud While the latter searched the
A., 81. 4
/ burglars the Inside the former Joined
/ he pursuit, nud soon came within speaking dis
lance Of three OF the burglars, and called upon
them To stop, and advanced into their midst and
was ia the act { arres,pg one of them when he
received heavy blow over the eve willie an
Their stuck him with sharp instrument md
another from behind discharged u pistol NJ him
producing three serious wounds. The burglars
then escaped Officer liruricIi falling 10 find
any Of the burglars ia Mr. Floyd house went
in pursuit. Of the gang, aud coming up with
them ordered them to stop, when they turned
md fired two shots at him, which lie returned,
but none took effect. They then e. tered a car.
riaqe in waiting and were driven of
The burglars were evidently professionally and
came here from other cities Their wel'-laid
plans however, indicate that they either had a
confederate here, or cl1e they had carefully stu
died the location, ard we're familiar with the
general arrangement Of the house They were
not buuplers either, for their plans STOW "a we'll
presence Of more PERSONS than ihey expected
and by the great presence Of niud Of Miss Hates
Those within the house knew nothing Of heg es.
ca until the return Of their confederate
Nr. H. G. Banning, president Of the bank Of
rer5 reward of five hundred dollars each for
The arrest and conviction Of The burglars or for
either of them
In their fight from the csilcnce or Mr. Floyd
the burglars left behind them very heavy CHS
el Of superior metal pei7 of hanlcuT, and e
gag. Other articles were also found I'm King
street by officers Lesry aal q Neill, who had
Instituted n search with lanterns. After that a
mask bad heen brought into police he dquarter5,
by gentleman who bad picket II up in the
street. Just around the Gunner IN King street a
soldiers overcont a quantity Of rove several
masks, sheath knife, a small can supposed to
contain oil and several more gnvs we're rouni
These were all brought ~ the chief Of police and
are now in his possession. All the burglars in
strument' were entirely new nnl 90 best quality.
All tho men wore masks. which were square
pieces Of thiI material folded cr0s5wisp and fas.
tened over their faces just below tie eyes.
A later account from Wilmington states that
four men were arrested saturday evening last on
. charge Of attempting The bank robbery Friday
night They gave names which are doubtless
fictitious as follows +. g. Ebert of New Or
lssus ! InwlUr e cpfi. geld Mas: Frarci.
H. Garter and james Thomas q Philadelphia
They have been recognized us % party CccI pving
house iu the suburbs " the city, in which Ii
full sct of ine burglar tools was found tLis morn
ing and from other evidence there is 200 doubt
lhat they arc tho guilty party. One has been rs
cogniZsd by policeman Cailcrry rs thc person
who assaulted him.
SENSATION At WAHpusyutg "A Wild mar
has been discovered in the woods near Warders
Vile Two young gentlemen out hunting found
their dogs baking furiously at the foot Of
large tree nod while looking Tor q squirrel ob