The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-31
"a SURPRISE PARTY.
That's What the Northampton Burg
lars Called it.
THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY.

/
MILLION DsLSARs srOLES-vARIOUs DE-
TAILS OF THE GAME, BUT NO NEWS OF THE
| GAMESTERs.
The SPrinfeld Union of Friday says: The
great bank robbl ~ ystNorthsmptonc continues
to be the absorbing theme at Northampton
indeed, in all this vicinity-and the burg
lars, now, no doubt, far from the scene OF
their exploit, can read with a sense OF
security Whist the papers may say ab0u. it.
A new theory regarding the movements OF
the burglars and one which is strongly sup
ported by circumstances, is that they drOv e
/ up to Northampton from this city aud
returned with the same team IN tim5 60
take the trains tor Boston and New York
About two weeks ago a sandy conn mplsxiOned
man OF medium SIZE and weight and OF
prepossessing personal appearance, appeared
at r.. ". Burr's livery stable, on Liberty
street near the depot, and engaged pair OF
fast horses and a carriage, to be ready at
certain hour of the evening, to go TO 8 sur
prise party at Holyoke. he tailed 10 call
for them at the time appointed, but last
Monday the same man called at the stable
again, and hired horse and carriage, os-
Y tensibly to 60 to IIolyoke. Mr. Burr
recognized him, and asked him if he was
not the man who engaged the span two
weeks before. He said he was, but entered
into no explanation. Nothing was thought
OF the matter, although it was noticed next
day that
THE HORSE APPEARED VERY TIRED,
and seemed to have been driven further
than Holyoke. On his return the stranger
had asked Mr.. Burr If he could have the
previously engaged span OF horses and
barouche on Tuesday night at hslt-past six
precisely, as he, with some friends, wished
10 attend a surprise party as Holyake The
surprise came in further up Tie river /
Mr.. Burr replied ne could. The stranger
10 ksd the horses over in the sable, git
Mr.. Burr's repeated assurance that these
identical horses should be ready for him ~
TIE precise minute, and exscted a lvomise
that they should not be allowed TO leave tue
stable Tuesday until they were hitched up
for him-he wanted a fresh team.
Tuesday evening vas stormy, and Mr..
Burr, thinking that the party might be post
poned, waited for the arrival OF the stranger
before harnessing. Hslf-past came, and 10
minutes passed before he sppeare Then
he rushed in and asked if The horses Were
ready. No." said the stable keeper, I'VE
had concluded you were not coming"
Hitch them up as soon as you can" aid
the stranger; How many minutes will il
tske2" Finding he had tlIoe, ne raSl-io. tiss-
depot and quickly returned. The men were
putting on the side-curtsins of the carriage,
and he assured himself that they were pat
on closely. "But your ladies' can never Get
III. lucy III UGN6 10 CllIQD over Jnab nlEl
front seat" said tho hostler. "We'l look
after that" said he, ssiziBg the reins and
whirling up M6in street like Jehu. de
paid for the team in advance and his name
was not asked. Very early "Wednesday
morning,
BEFORE LIGHT THE TEAM RETURNED
TIE same man came with it. The horsos
were exhausted. The hostlsr expressed his
mind on the case. He replied that the going
was very hard, and putting his hands among
the robes, said, 81 guess I've returned evsry-
thing that belongs TO you." The -h0stler
now thinks that he then took out vai.ss,
but be was in such haste TO get the horses il
out of the wind that he did not observe par
ticularly. At any rate the man hastened
toward the depot with no more words. The
horses were so exhausted that upon being
stabbed, groomed and bedded, they lay
down and remained lying most OF the rest OF
the day. The groom says that their hair
showed they had had two terrible swests
and had been blanketed and dried for a
time between. Well, the detectives have
promptly commenced working u2 this phase
of the case. Some of them believe that the
man who hired the teams was the man who
bought the oveTalls (which were afterwsrd
used in their disguise) OF Hall & Prev, in
this city. Their description to the detective
from iDdistinct memory OF him comedies
very nearly with Burr's clear recollection OF
him. A team which was seen on side street
in Nor Hampton Tuesday night, and which
was seen near Smiths Ferry very carly
Wednesday morning drying toward this
city at tearing pace, followed by single
horse and carriage, was so closely described
to q detective who is on the trail that he
walked into Bu-r's stable and picked out
without assistance that very pair of horses
and the double carriage, which latter he
searched. Where the single team was hired
Ir~.. hr,f nroa ofso1d al,.~o
other stable keepers have been
INTERVIEWED BY DETECTIVES
to-day in order, if possible, to ascertain. The
theory based on these facts and others is
that the job was managed by the man who
hired the teams; that hd had everything
ready two weeks bef sre the robbery actually
took place and e. the time he first engaged
the horses, Eat that something happened to
prevent &C. The detectives say that the
appearance of the food, etc, found in the
school house attic indicates that il had been
there since about that time. Then, having
been disappointed by some loose screw, the
"surprise party" was postponed till Tues
day night. The conspisators came to
this city from different quarters
and at different times; neither
recognize each other in any public plsce.
The manager drove to Northampton with
the single team Monday night, satisfied hip-
self that all was right aud possibly placed a
man or two where they "would do the most
good" Then Tuesday night, when the re-
mainder of the gang were perhaps well scat
tered up North Main street, or even further
along, the leader rushed to the stable and
assured himself that the team would be
ready. Then. either to avoid close obser-
vatiou or to fix some last detail went away
for few moments, and at last drove of
rapidly to pick up the strsggler
of the gang. How the work was
handled at Northampton has little TO dc
with this part of the story. Some o.
the detectives place little Confidence In the
power OF Whittelsey's family 10 tell exactly
az what time the burglars lett the house, the
bank or the town. -t .i-,.,s..e,r,s