The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-05-13
A Bank Presidents Peril.

A Bank Presidents Peril
NEW YORK, APRIL 80. The deep mys-
terry which has so long enveloped the
methods employed in recovering the Sc
curities stolen from the Souhegan Bank,
in Milford n. H., last October, is at last
unravelled and the story would pass for q
genuine romance were not the full details
of the plo. 50 well authenticated. The
robbery, it will be remembered, was one
of the boldest ever perpetratcd. On the
18th OF October ten or twelve masked
men forceo their way into the private res
idence of Mr.. Il. A. Sawyer, the cashier,
and having gagged and tied all the mem
bers of the household, forced the cashier
to produce the keys, with which the bank
vaults We're opened and about Sl20 600 in
securities and $4,000 in currency was Sc
cured The President of the bank, Hon
VIM R ToWne, who was in this city
transacting some business, lost no time
in returning to Milford. Detectives were
employed in the search for the robbers
and the securities, but all to no purpose
Advertisements offering rewards for the
restoration OF the securities We're pub
lished and at length anonymous notes
reached Mr.. Towne. The writer's desired
to know how much he would pay. His
inyariable answer was g a reasonable
amount A letter was received from 4
small town not far from Boston. Mr.
Towne was informed that the bonds
should be returned if liberal sum was
paid for them The scnde, Of the letter
requested an interview with him, and Mr.
Towne resolved to visit the man. and did
So The bank President was coolly re-
ccived by the stranger, who met him in
a hotel, and then led him to large build
ing far away The stranger eyed Mr..
Towne suspiciously as he led him through
a long hallway into a commodious room.
and the banker felt i'll at ease in his pres
ence The stranger talked business at
once Mr Towne told him that the ne
gotiation OF the securities had been inter
fered with by publication, but that the
bank was willing to pay 4 sum not ex-
travagant Tor the bonds. The stranger
named 8 sum, and said that he would
give Mr. Towne time to think over it.
Before going from the building in which
the conference was had, the stranger
abused Mr. Towne, and accused him Of
not acting in good faith
The banker was afraid to say much then,
but in the hotel he satisfied the stranger,
whom Mr.. ToWne alterWard discovered
was a detective. that no one was aware Of
his (Nlr. ToWne's) object in visiting the
town Then the President went back to
Milford and talked with the Directors of
the bank, Further correspondence follow
ed, and at length Mr. T0wne consented to
pay the sum demanded. He drew the
money in bank notes of large denomina-
ton, and putting them into an inside pock-
ct of his vest, started to see the detec-
tive. He was again led through the long
hallway, and into the big room The
door was fastened by the detective Mr..
Towne was thoroughly frightened care
you prepared to negotiate,' . gruflly asked
the detective II think | am was the
Think YOU are,n sneered the detective.
care YOU fixed - The bank President
hesitated, but answered in the affirmative.
"Well, produce" was the command Of
the detective Mr. ToWne drew roll Of
bank notes from his pocket, and placed
them on the table. The detective went to
a door opening into another room and
knocked. The door was slightly opened,
and hand grasping a bundle wrapped in
silk paper Of foreign manufacture appear
ed. The detective took the package and
put it on the table, Nov, Sir" said he
to MIR. Towne, "haye you got any more
money -" Yes sir" was the reply, and
Mr. Towne took another roll OF bank notes
from his pocket. The detective again
tapped on the door, and another package
| was handed in. Then, more money hav-
ing been obtained from Mr.. Towne, a
third and last package was given him. He
| quickly examined the securities. They
were the ones wanted Some were miss
| ing, and likewise valuable papers were
not there
| Mr.. Towne tied the three packages to-
gether, and was ready to 60. He trem-
bled as he approached the door, and ask
ed the detective to show him out 1t was
| then about about 9 o'clock at night, and
| the long hallway was very dark, but he
| finally succeeded in reaching the hotel in
safety. The next day he was in Milford.
The valuable papers and some of the Sc
| curities are still wanted. One of the miss
ing bonds was recently found in Dicken-
so-s woods, near Jerome Park, in a bot
| tie lying by the side of a man who had
evidently been murdered. Twelve stabs
were found in his breast. and the theory
now entertained here is that the man was
one Of the bank robbers, and that he and
some OF his accomplices alighted from the
train near the woods. and that soon after
ward in a struggle he was killed. From the
appearance Of the ground few feet from
the body it was inferred that other bottles
had therein been buried and then hastily
taken up, and it was thought likely that in
the hurry the bottle containing the bond
| was overlooked