Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-11-07
THE ROMANCE OF ROBBERY.
The BoyIstop hank .ThIsves--A Sketch
OF their Leader and his Career.

The BOyiston TANK .Ihteves--A seketch
OF their Leader and his Career.
The approaching trial of Billiard,
charged with robbing the Boylston
Bank in Boston, some years ago, revives
incidents connected with the robbery
that are interesting. In 1868 the Mer-
chants Union Express Company was
robbed of $3.50, 600. The messenger Of
the caron which the robbery took place
was found bound and gagged, but be-
ing arrested confessed that he With
others committed the robbery. Two
O. mis- ponfederates were arrested, but
after being in Jail three months turned
over 100000 to the express company,
we're turned loose, and with filed
pockets went to Europe.
Billiard, one of the thieves, in Paris
took the name Of Wells and opened an
American gambling house in the Rue
Scribe. The Agents dc Police ascer-
tanned the character Of the place and
arrested him, and he was sentenced by
the criminal court to brief imprison-
ment. When he obtained his liberty
he married a good-looking English
woman. The express company'e money
was soon squandered and he decided
upon q visit to America, for the purpose
OF replenishing his empty exchequer.
He and Marsh came to Boston in 1869,
and soon rallied around them the best
burglar talent" that could be found,
| oil haIYaC nnnas1nrol Il
and the following was what they accom-
plished:
When the doors of the Boylston
bank, corner of Boylston and Washing
ing streets, Boston, were opened on the
morning of the 22d of November, 1869,
it was discovered that the vault had
been broken into by burglars, and that
upward of $400, 000 worth of property,
consisting of bank bills, bonds, etc. f.,
had been stolen. From that day to
this hardly any of the property has
been recovered. The Boston police
have been unable to obtain a clew as
to who were the perpetrators of the
daring robbery.
1t appears that on the ODD day OF
October, exactly a month previous to
the discovery of the robbery, man
giving the name of W. A. Judson
bought out barber shop in the build.
ing adjacent to the bank. He appeared
quiet and respectable, and no suspicion
was entertained as to his real character
Judson furnished his new room very
handsomely and carried On the sale Of
California vino Differs. The walls Of
the room were wainscotted up to the
ceiling. The robbers cut off corner
OF the room by placing partition and
making what appeared to visitors al
inner or private room. The wainsco
or wooden sheathing in the private Office
was then cut 80 as to form door, be.
hind which was the partition wall
This being accomplished, the gant
commenced cutting away the wall, bricl
by brick, which were removed with thu
broken mortar in boxes labeled "medi
cine" Working stealthily at night
week after week, the robbers cut thei
way through two walls, twenty inche
in thickness, and having accomplished
this the back of the lofty iron safe wa
exposed. They then by means of
drill cut hole eighteen inches squar
into the back of the safe.
Through this hole they took out al
the private boxes on the shelves, ani
bursting them open helped themselve
to what they wanted, and having takel
their choice scattered mortgages, etc.
over the floor of the safe. A larg
portion of the booty consisted of green
backs. The burglary took place be
tween the closing of the bank o.
Saturday evening and its opening o.
Monday morning.
The detectives for long time coul'
get no trace of the perpetrators of tn
robbery, but it is now believed tina
some of these officials were intereste'
in the robbery, or at least enjoyed thei
share of the proceeds. The none
stolen by Billiard from the Boylsto
Bank was squandered with prodiga
hand, and after an attack of deliriur
tremens he entered an inebriate asylum
where he remained some months, an
for years past ne has been hiding fror
the police, till he was recently capture
at his residence in New York, and take
to Boston to answer for the robbery
Others of the gang have since bee
captured.