The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-04
DARING BANK ROBBERY.


EXPERT WORK OF PROFESSIONAL BURGLARS
DETAILS OF THE osERATIoNs-A NARROW
ESCAPE FROM HEAVY HAUL.
/ PITTsToS Pa, Nov. Q, 1875.
our town this morning is in a fever Of excitement
over the elections and the discussion Of of the
most adroit bank robberies committed this or
probably, any other section Of the State The First
National Bank of this place was the victim and
most skilfuly entered but not without the finest kind
OF labor on the part Of professionals What makes the
matter more wonderful is that the bank is pro-
vided with patent alarm bell which is attached TO
building near by, and electric wires connect with
tho bell from almost every conceivable point
OF entrance to the bank The building
is one story brick, with nat roof slopng from front
to rear and extending back about forty feet In
of the building is lot nclosed at the further end
with low shed, which is built upon alley. Several
ladders have rested this shed for months. The
bank is bounded tho north by gableroofed
wooden building used for Offices and the south by
three story brick building theupper portion of which
is occupied a boarding house.
OPERATIONS BURGLARS.
The burglars first placed short ladder in the alley
against the she'd which they climbed to the lot
Then they made of of the ladders there found
by carrying to the of the wooden building and
placing it In such position to be hidden In the dark
corner made by the extension of the bank building,
which projects many feet in rear of the other Ascend
ing this ladder the roof of the wooden building was
top of the fiat roof of the bank large
screw ring was now fastened in the brick
wall of the bank, upon which tho burglars
could step and ascend TO the roof without difficulty.
Tho bank roof is covered with and 1t required much
caution to proceed over il without arousng the
pants OF room in the boarding house. the window OF
which opened directly the roof But it they
passed without disturbing any one and, selecting
wall and about four feet from the front edge OF the
roof they carefully removed portion of the tin, put
ting heavy cods of putty on the places where they cut
After this, they cut large hole in the
roof which admitted them to q low attic
the top wall OF the bank Along this they crept until
they arrived point Just the centre of the brick
arch of the bank vault and here they commenced OPP
erationS again Their work must have been rapid,
but 1t was very neat also and very successful Tor they
managed to hole feet square through the IF
teennch brick arch. The debris was thrown to one
side, but in such position as not TO interfere with
ready passage from the vault to the aperture in the
| roof The opening made fine rope ladder left
by the thieves, lot down. and in this way the floor
of the vault gained, distance of about eight feet
| from the top of the arch.
THE VAULT
| contained, besides the books of the bank, three
Marvin spherical Safes which stationed at the end
opposite the doors. gas jet was suspended in the
centre of the vault and this the burglars lit to enable
them to proceed with their work. hole drilled
into the lock of of the Safes and this charged
with nitro glycerine, it is thought fine linen cord
then made fast the electric fuse attached the
charge, and this cord made to through small
rings placed in adjacent Shelves and carried
to the roof from whence the shot undoubtedly
fired, as 1t would have been impossible for any person
to have withsood the conclusion caused by the expo
sion shown by the inner door of the vault which
was bent nearly double This latter was made of half
| inch iron.
THE THEORY
that after the explosion the burglars descended to
the vault aud ransacked the contents of the SAFE which
was successfully blown OPEN But they found little for
their palms. as nothing discovered but lot of
| rency and a quantity of mutilated bills A bag
tanning about hundred dollars in nickes dis
covered, and the whole probably removed ut once
to the roof as it subsequently discovered there.
The thieves now proceeded Ut is supposedly to the
work OF opening the second SAFE for when the vault
was opened this morning the outside covering of the
/ lock found blown off, 1t is thought that the
second explosion awoke the proprietor of the boarding
house next door, for he at any rate sprang out of bed
and informed his wife that he believed something
wrong going on inside the bank He hastily put
his pants and with an open kerosene lamp went down
stairs in his bare feet and around the OF the bank
/ When he got there he confronted by who
leaped from the ladder, who in turn quickly fol-
lowed by another and still another the latter having
jumped from the roof An alarm was raised, but the
thieves had made good their escape before assistance
arrived Information sent at to the president
and cashier of the bank who arrived subsequently and
made examination OF affairs. In the sudden flight
of the burglars they compelled to leave almost all
THEIR PARAPHRRNALIA,
such mmes, screws, bits, braces fuses bar iron,
putty knives rope ladders and skull caps. One of the
latter elaborate affair of the finest silk
and of many coors All the tools left gave evidence
that none but the most skilfu professionals were
gagged in the robbery The money removed to the root
left of COURSE together with two complete suits oil
overalls of dark blue stuff Money was subsequently
found about the building, but in very small amounts
The officers of the bank state that their loss will not
exceed $780, but had the thieves succeeded in getting
/ into the other safe which partially blown open,
they would have found notes and papers the amount
| Of nearly $500, 000