The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-02-19
HUGE BANK ROBBERY
The Biggest Burglary-First Ma
tional Of Quincy, Illinois, loses
$4,000 Besides Special Depos-

The following dispatch to the Chi
cago Journal was dated at Quincy on
February 18th.
The city was thrown into consteTna-
ton this morning about . O'Clock by
the discovery that the First National
Bank had been entered last night. Its
vault preached, and the money safe
blown open and cleared of its entire
contents. An examination of the
premises develops the following facts:
The bank was entered by cutting
through the hall floor of the second
story, Immediately over the vault
The burglars then made breach
through three feet Of mason
~ about four feet square. They then
cut the rivet of q t~entyfoot inch
thick sheet Of boiler-iron, with which
the vault Is lined; and, removing 1t
descended into the vault. They then
charged both the money safe and the
one containing bonds and valuable pa
pers with powder, and by means Of q
small rubber hose carried train to
the top of the safe, where q small pis.
toll, screwed to an old ledger, was ar
ranged to set 1t of. A string was at
tached to the pistol and passed out of
q
street below, and by this means the
operators were enabled TO discharge
their blasts when the streets were
clear OF people. The clock in the bank
was stopped at seventeen minutes
past 9 O'Clock, as II is supposed, by the
explosion, which must have occurred
at that time.
When the bank officers entered the
4, Lax -, a
the exterior Of the vault badly shat
tered from the conclusion, and were
unable to open the door. On forcing
the door kit of elaborate tools for
safe-cracking met their gaze, and the
money safe secured Of it's contents and
minus it's door, next attracted their
attention. A close examination show
ed that the safe containing bonds and
papere, which had also b.en charged
and blasted, had resisted the shock
and suffered only the damage of its
lock.
called on U. 9. Penfeld, the Cash
Ter, and learned the following concern
ing the banks loss. He knew OF $50.
600 that was missing aud the whole
amount taken was considerably over
that sum, there being in the safe cur
rency Of small denominations, the I
amount Of which cannot be estimated
in the confusion following the rob
berry. 1t Is generally thought the cur
rency carried off will foot up SlO0, 900,
and besides this there were valuable
papers, bonds and special deposits to q
large amount taken.
The safe blown open was one Of
Dodd's patent, manufactured at Gin
and although considered proof
against burglars. its door was wrench
cd completely of by the explosion.
The excitement over the astounding
affair IL intense, and constant throng
Of people 10 passing in and out OF the
bank all day. General Morgan, for
The directory, stated this morning to
those present at the scene, that the
loss would not seriously affect the
bank, and that 1t would continue bu.
,iness and meet all demsnd upon it.
There Is no clue whatever to the
perpetrators Of the daring deed, but
'ne Mccoy, who was recently connect
I'd with q variety show, has been ar
rested and is held on suspicion. The
ories concerning the time occupied In
entering the vault are conflicting, but
Inc most probable one Ia that the rob-
)0ry has been meditated for some /
lime, and that OF least three nights ,
we're occupied in working through the ,
Masonry surrounding the vault. This
heory r stronghold by the fact that ,
be flooring on the second. story hall, j
vhich was taken up to get Ut the
sult. was found this morning with ,
,rews instead Of nails, which had ev-
lently been used 20 replace Il secure !
after each nights work. II