The Jasper weekly courier., 1874-07-17
An Elaborately Planned Robbery
Foiled.

The New York Savings Bank is in the
basement of the five-stOry building II
Eighth avenue and Fourteenth street. In
the first story of the building j. the New
| York County National Bank. The upper
stories are occupied by lawyers and real
estate agents. On the north side of the
bank is a three-story brick building that
connects with a small building on Four
tenth street, the banks being in the l.
formed by the two. In the first story Of
the Eighth avenue building j. a restaurant
/ The upper stories are used "a dwellings.
but very few of the rooms are occupied.
1 Patroman Keller. of the Twentieth
street police. heard noise like hammer
ing when be passed the bank before day.
break on Saturday. The sounds seemed
20 be made with heavy instrument. lie
looked into the bank in the basement. but
saw nothing suspicious. The harnmerng
continued. and. having been Joined BY
another officer, Keller went TO the station
for help. lie soon returned with Captain
Cherry and squad of men. The build
ing was surrounded. and the secretary of
the bank was sent for. The police de-
manded admittance to the building adjoin-
ing the bank on Eighth avenue. While
they were parleying with the man who
answered their call. three men jumped
from the rear window of the dancing-hall
on Fourteenth street. The fugitives scaled
the fence and ran, but were captured at
Fifteenth street and Ninth avenue. At the
police station they gave their names as
John simpson, Charles Sanborn and Will
liam Morgan.
The officers went back to the bank and
searched the building. In the cellar.
which was half full of rubbish. steam
ap.r hal 81 .l.ft
wall. and hole four feet square had been
cut through the wall. and the granite
vault of the bank was exposed 10 view.
The beam supporting the floor above had
been cut away by the burglars. and care
fully propped up. The bricks had been
removed and the debris piled up
about the aperture. On this heap of
bricks was spread an old quilt. The space
between the ceiling of the cellar and the
pile was so small that only one man could
work, and then only when lying on the
quilt. The burglars had commenced with
their steam drill on one OF the granite
rocks composing the wall of the vault. and
had drilled a hole about one inch in diam
cter and two inches i'm depth in the stone.
At this spot were found heavy iron NAL
let and a cold-chisel. which had evidently
been used i'm drilling the hole referred to.
ell to work drill. but as the necessary
machinery was not found. il is supposed
that the machinery and tools were to have
been put in saturday. when the burglars
would have had Saturday and all day sun
dav to work. In the furnace under the
boiler was "A quantity OF charred wood.
One of the upper rooms OF the house con-
tanned workbench. a number of carpen-
ter's tools. "A putty-knife, several josts of
hard wood. some black muslin, and other
articles. The joists Were evidently intend
ed 10 brace up the drilling machinery, and
the black muslin to form a screen.
When the prisoners were examined in
the Police Central Office. Simpson was re-
cognizcd a. an old pickpocket; Morgan
was found to be Billy Bartlett. Sanborn.
who j. blacksmith. is not known to the
police.
The banks vaults contained S3,O00,000
in greenbacks and securities.
Some time ago. person calling himself
J. J. Gilmore. hut whom the police believe |
10 be the celebrated Jack Clare. the Balti- |
more bond robber, rented the buildings in |
Eighth avenue and Fourteenth street, !
which enclose the bank, and began osten- |
siblv to keep an eating-house. He paid
$1,000 down for the place. and without
hesitation gave mortgage for $1,000. |
which was to be foreclosed ii the |
money was not paid on the lst
of August. His real business !
seems to have been to break the two l
banks, and il is supposed that his conf |
dencc in his ability TO finish his Job on I
saturday and Sunday. the 18th and 9TH of !
July. made him not unwilling to execute i
a mortgage that might be- forcclosed on |
the 1t OF August. lie has fled.-N. y. I
Sun.