The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-11-12
Il Daring B0HG iiO66cry.
On Wednesday morning Pittston vas

On Wednesday morning Pittston vas in
a fever of excitement over the elections
and the discussion of one of the most adroit
bank robber,es ever committed IN that or,
probably, any other section of the state.
The First National bank was the victim, !
and was must skillfully 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 provid-
ed with patent alarm ben, which is at
tached TO building near by, and electric
wires connect with the bell from almost
every conceivable point of entrance to the
bank. The building is one story brick,
with ftat root sloping from front to rear
and extending back about forty feet In
rear of the building is lot, inclosed at :he
further end with a low shed, which Is built
upon an alley. Several ladders have rest
ed on this shed for months. The bank is
bounded on the mort by gable rooted
wooden building, used for Offices and Oh
the south by three story brick building,
the upper portion of which is occupied as
boarding house.
The burglars first placed a short ladder
III the alley against the shed, over which
they climbed to the lot. Then they made
use of one of the ladders there found by
carrying it to the rear of tie wooden build
ing, and pacing 1T Ill such position as to be
hidden Ill the dark corner made by the ex.
tension of the bank building, which pro-
Jccts many feet III rear OF the other As
ceuding this ladder the roof of the wooden
building was gained, but the caves were
nearly eight feet below the top of the fat
roof of the bank. 4 large screw ring was
now fastened in the brick wall of the bank,
upon which the burglars could step and as
cend TO the roof without difficulty. The
bank roof is covered with tin and it re
nNnh t..
without arousing the occupants of room
i'll the boarding house, the window of
which opened directly on the roof. But
over it they passed without disturbing
any one, and, selecting a spot about eight
feet from the window and near the wall,
and about four feet from the front edge of
the roof, they carefully removed portion
of the tin, putting heavy clods of putty
on the places where they cut After this
they cut large hole in the roof, which
admitted them to lower attic over the
top wall of the bank. Along this they
cIept until they arrived at point Just over
the centre of the brick arch of the bank
vault, and here they commenced opera
tiuns again. Their work must have been
very rapid, but it was very neat also, and
very successful, for they managed to cut a
hole feet Square through the I5iuch brick
arch. The debris was thrown to one side,
with ready passage from the vault to the
aperture in the roof. The opening once
made, fine rope ladder. left by the
thieves, was let down. and in this way the
floor of the vault was gained, a distance of
about eight feet from the top of the arch.
I That vault contained, besides the books of
the bank, three Marvin spherical safes.
! which were stationed at the end opposite
the. e.dools. A gas jet was suspended in the
Il.
/ lit to enable them to proceed with their
/ work. A hole was drilled into the lock of
one of the safes, and this was charged Wi h
/ nitro glycerine, it is thought. A iiue linen
/ cord was then made fast to the electric fuse
/ attached to the charge, aud this cord was
/ made to run through small screw rings
! placed in adjacent shelves, and so carried
on to the roof, from whence the shot was
/ undoubtedly fired as it would have been
/ impossible for any person to have with
! stood the conclusion caused bv the expIo.
sion, as shown by the inner door of the
! vault, which was bent nearly double.
! The latter was made OF half-iuch iron,
! The theory is that after the explosion the
/ burglars descended.to the vault !aad ran
! sacked the contents of the safe which was
successfully blown open. Blu. they found
1 little Tor their pains, as nothing vas dis
covered but a lot Of currency and quanti-
| about 800 in nicklcs was discovered and
the whole was probably removed at once to
the roof, as IT was subsequently discovered
there.
The thieves now proceeded 1T is sun
posed) to the work of opening the secoud
/ safe, for when the vault was opened next
morning the outside covering OF the lock
was found blown off. 1t is thought tlIa,
the second explosion awoixe The proiricto,
. ! a he hI,a Il 4
any rate Spr&ng out OF bed and informed d
| his wife that lie believed that some, hing
! wrong was going on inside the bank. He
! Hastily put on his pants, and with an Omen
kerosene lamp went down stairs in his bare
feet and around the rear Of the bank
| w hen lie got there he was confronted by q
man who escaped from the ladder, who in
turn was quickly followed by another, and
still another, the latter having iumIed
from the roof. An alarm was raised. I'm,
the thieves had made good their escape be
fore assistance arrived. Information was
| at once made to the president and cashie,
oil the bank, who arrived subsequently ard
! made an examination of affairs. In tie
sudden flight of the burglars thew were
compelled to leave almost all their nara.
phernalia, such as jimmies, screws. bits.
braces fuses bar iron, putty knives, rope
ladders and skull caps. One of the latte,
was an elaborate affair, woven of the fines,
SILK ana of many colors. All the tools Icf,
gave evidence that none but the most skill.
Iui professionals were engaged in the rob.
berry The money removed to the root
was left of course; together with two con,
plete suits Of overalls of Garl1 blue stnff
Money was subsequently found about The
building but in very small amounts.
The officers of the bank state that thcir
loss will not exceed $50; but had the
thieves succeeded in getting into the other
safe, which was partially blown open, they
wohid nave found notes and papers to the
amount of nearly $500, 000.
! FOUNDERED AT SEA i-ODe Eundred