Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-02-27
Quincy Bank Robbera.

Quincy Bank Robbera.
One Of the boldest and most ex-
tcnsive burglaries ever perpretated
in the west, was the robbery Of the
lst National Bank, Of Quincy, Ill.,,
en- the 18th inst. The robbers got
away safely with over 100000 in
currency, besides bonds and other
valuable securities to a large
amount. The Quincy papers give
the following account of the man
ncr in which it was done:
The vault is built against the last
wall of the building, of boiler iron.
The interior of the vault is about
six feet square, and runs up to with
in four feet Of the ceiling, the top
being an arch. Brickwork two
feet in thickness surrounds the iron
and is also arched at the top. The
vault is directly under the hallway,
which runs east and west the entire
length of the second floor of the
building. A portion of the floor in
the hallway directly over the vault
was taken up and an aperture made
large enough to enable man to
crawl through. A portion of the
brick work down to the iron vault
was removed, the bricks being piled
up in vacant places under the floor.
A section of the iron which had
been fastened by rivets, the same
as boiler work, was removed and
the vault was open.
The burglars 1t appears, entered
with their tools, and finding it too
big a job to break in the doors, de-
termined upon blowing the safe
open. Powder was sifted in around
the doors, and a fuse run through q
copper tube up to the second floor
and out to the stairway. For fear
that the fuse wouldn't work, a pis-
tol fastened on book was loaded,
stationed on a shelf opposite the
safe, and cord attached to the
trigger and passed up to the second
floor and out to the stairway, or to
the point where the fuse had been
carried. The large safe was dou-
bic one, with two doors. The right
hand door contained a combination
lock. The left door had to be un-
locked from the inside, after the
right hand one was opened. The
funds of the bank were contained
in the right hand portion of the
safe. In the double safe was pla-
ced small safe which is said to
have contained Government bonds
and special deposits.
The explosion forced both doors
off the double safe, cracked the
brick walls of the vault, and knock
ed the plastering off the ceiling Of
a room on the south side Of the
building.
After the explosion, the burglars
decended into the vault and gather
cred up the contents of the safe
about eighty thousand dollars in
coin and currency. There were in
the vault a large number OF small
boxes belonging to citizens, con-
tanning valuable papers and bonds,
most of which were carried off.
When the vault was first opened but
one box which belonged to VIM.
Marsh, could be found. Upon max
ing an examination several were
found on top Of the vault, where
they had been broken open and left.
1t is estimated that enough bores to
load u small 'eogon were carried
away.
No event that has transpired in
Quincy within the recollection of
the oldest inhabitant, created so
much excitement as the reports of
the robbery. Everybody upon hear
ing the news, made rush for the
bank, and remained as long as there
was anything to see OF hear con-
cerning the affair. The rush con-
tinued until after noon, and until
several thousand people had salts
fed their curiosity.
The lock Of the vault door was
disturbed by the concussion, and
had to be opened by a machinist.
The door of the small safe had to
be opened in the same way. Upon
examining this safe, the contents,
mostly bonds, were found to be un-
disturbed. Upon learning the exact
condition of affairs, Mr.. Pentield
stated to the crowd in the bank that
about eighty thousand dollars of the
bank had been stolen, but business
would be transacted as usual.
The amount of special deposits
contained in the boxes, and taken
by the robbers is supposed to be
large, and to amount to nearly as
much as the loss of the bank. One
box, it is reported, contained about
$4,000, and several others are
known to have contained large
lIlOuulS. uC cAdCI iIIIOuuC VI lHc
private losses is not known.
The bank is located in the most
prominent part of the city, only
one block trcm the police head
quarters, and is passed every few
minutes during the night. No one
has been found who saw any par
ties about the corner or about the
building, and how the parties es-
capped with so many boxes without
being seen is puzzlcr.
The explosion is supposed to have
taken place at quarter past two
this morning, as the clock in the
bank stopped at that time. Several
parties rooming in the vicinity
heard the report but paid no atten-
ton to it. A boy who sleeps in the
basement under the bank, says that
he heard a noise that sounded like
something heavy falling, but did
not get up. He also says that for
two nights previous he has heard
some one walking up stairs, and
supposed it was a watchman in the
building and that last night, before
he heard the noise, some one knock
cd several times at the basement
door which opened into the room