Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-06-10
A BANK OFFICERS NERVE.
Romantic Story of Negotiations
with Thieves, Resulting i'll Dis
cOvery of Stolen Property.

On the 18TH or OCTOBER las
the Souhegan national bank IL
Milford, n. H., was robbed by
six masked men, who entered
the house Of the cashier, Mr.
Frederick T. Sawyer, gagged
that gentleman, and after clos
citing his family and putting {
strong guard over it, led him tc
the bank by the aid of a rope a.
bout the neck, aud compelled
him to open the safes. Recent
Iy the most Of the stolen prop
erty has been returned by the
thieves for consideration, IN
correct accounts Of which trans
action have been printed in
some Of the papers. From Mr..
VIM. B. Towne, the president
OF the bank, who was the per-
son actively engaged on behalf
Of the institution, the Nashua
! (N. H Telegraph has obtained
the true story of the negotia-
ton, reproduced below:
One day, about two months
after the robbery, Mr.. Towne
received a dispatch from an in
dependent detective in Balti-
more, in which the sender said
he had information concerning
the stolen property, and reques-
ted an interview. To this he
paid no attention. A little la
ter he received a second dis
patch, in which the detective
expressed SO mich confidence
that Mr.. Towne thought there
might be something in it, and
consequently he replied that he
would be at a well-knoWn hotel
in that city at a stated time
He accordingly went to Balti-
more, and shortly after he regis
tered he was cordially greeted
by the detective. After a few
commonplace remarks the de-
tcctiye referred to the nature
of the business upon which con-
ference was desired, stated that
it would be better to seek a
place where they would not be
interrupted, and invited him to
his office. He was conducted
to a place not far away, ushcred
through q reception room on
the first floor Of the building to
an Office about Il by 5 feet in
dimensions, where he found
desk in one end Of the room, a
table in the other, chairs and
other furniture. This was in
the evening. Mr.. Towne pre-
sumes that the detective, if
such was his real ayocation,
eyed him sharply with a view
Of determining his character
and the amount Of nerve he
possessed, and he is certain that
he returned the compliment for
the same purpose. The two
men sat down in an easy and
uncOncerned chat.
There was no bOmbastic ban
tering, as has been reported,an
no incivilities in word or accent.
After some preliminary CONVEX
sation, in which Mr.. pownc was
informed that the speaker OBJ
tanned his information concern
ing the bonds from an attorney
who was negotiating for a client,
he was asked if the bank would
pay $4,000 or $4,000 to re-
cover the property that had
been stolen. Mr.. Towne re-
piled in & guarded statement
that 'the bank would pay some
thing for the recovery Of the
contents Of the vault" "Fhere
are the bonds?" asked Mr..
ToWne. sI don't know" was
the reply. The interview las
ted about an hour anda a half,
and in it was accom-
plished the sounding of each
other very thoroughly. As they
were about to separate, the de-
tective said, "In the course Of
the night l think l can get a
schedule Of the property. Will
You meet me at this office at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning?"-
q WILL" replied Mr.. Towne u
The two men then separated.
At ten o'clock the next morn
ing Mr.. Towne was prompt to
meet his engagement. He found
his man ready to receive him.
A schedule had been prepared,
and he was invited to examine
it at his leisure. He did SO,
thoroughly, and after satisfying
himself that the property did !
not belong to the bank, said:-
'If this is a correct schedule !
the bonds are not ours" There
was a short pause. "Then there