The Republican journal., 1876-02-03
THE FUNDS TAKEN
Uss
CAPTt RING THE CASHIER.

=
t.upO Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan.
$4,000
Capt. RING THE CASHIER
The band are supposed to have entered
The house of Mr. Whittlesey, on Elm
street, about half mile from the pank.
through a second-story window. He and
his wife were aroused about | A. NJ. and
ordered by two OF the burglars to dress.
The other occupants of the house I b.
Cutler, Gazette printer, and wife, Miss
Matte {. White, of Willamsport, Pa,
Maria Benton, an invalid boarder, and the
servant gIrl-had been similarly awaken
ed, and were filed into the Whttlesey bed
room. All were bound and gagged, the
burglars running short of rope and DIS
patching the servant tor the clothes-line.
The men were rather Jolly set, inclined
TO pay some attention to the comfort of
their victims they advised the women to
put on three pairs OF stockings so that
the binding ropes would not cut them
One OF them casually remarked that he
had noticed Mr.. Whittlesev's fine watch
at Watch Hill, r. l., two years ago, and
tried TO claim acquaintance with him from
That time. ! his watch they took, but Mrs
Nhittlesev slyly pitched hers under the
bureau and so saved it; they picked her
line cloak out OF the bureau and she said.
Give me that old thing I'm cold" and
gained that One of the ladies said she
was sick and needed medicine, whereup-
on an attentive burglar offered her a
spoonful OF brandy. Conversation was
carried or, more or less briskly, but al
Y 70 A 10
glars, who wore kid gloves, were disguis-
ed by masks from the legs of satinet draw
ers. with places cut for the eyes. long lin
en- busters and blue overalls They took,
the watch, and so from Mr.. Whittlesev' 8
pocket.
OPENING THE VAULTS.
Mr.. Whittlesey, when asked to give the
three combination to the vault. tor the
outer, inner and chest doors, gave them
wrong twice and thrice, but the burglars
wrote them down and made him repeat
OF course they caught him, and pistol
compelled the truth, though he told them
that tour keys We're necessary to open the
patent lock, three of which were at the
other bank officers. At A. NJ. Mr.. Whit
tlesey was taken to q down stairs bed
room, the whole family gagged, and four
OF the burglars withdrew to operate on
the bank Three hours after Mrs. Whit
uesey succeeded in freeing herself and
giving the alarm from a window. The
whole party were speedily liberated, and
the cashier, still wearing the handouts,
went to the bank. A clever workman
soon alter fitted a key, and all the hand
cUtied were released Examination at
the bank showed that the cracksmen had
unlocked the outer door, but were appar-
emily baked by the safe lock, lacking
three OF the requisite four keys They
tried the metal OF the door with bars and
wrenched off two dials, which serve as an
index Tor working the combination, hop
ing 50 10 tamper with the lock. They
were entirely unmolested, the watch hav-
lng gone home. There is every indica-
tl0n that SIX and perhaps all of them left
on Conductor AdamS'S O'Clock southern
tram; five OF them had tickets previously
bought. and one paid his fare. 1t is sur
missed that one of them may have got left,
icra man was inquiring, soon after, anx-
lously tor chance to follow the regular
train 10y freight; and a team driven fu-
rlously toward Holvoke was heard by the
family OF Sheriff Wright passing on Ma
pie street, where, also, linen duster was
picked up, The lock upon the vault was
a peculiar and supposed especially safe
affair. 1t was DeXter's double dial COM
bination, with Herring's patent Tor dis
connecting the tumblers from the spindle,
was patented by Oscar Yale, last April.
and put on this bank only last October.
For safety 1t was accounted fully equal to
II not better than, the chronometer lock.
But the gang knew all the ins and outs of
locks, Tor when Mr.. Whittlesev told them
that they could not enter with but one OF
the four keys required. they responded,
~ G know more about bank locks tnan
you do" of course they did, for when the
new lock was put in conspicuous notice
was posted up warning burglars that il
would be idle for them to wrestle with
this iour-keyed combination This notice
was probably sadly taken down early this
morning when the desecrated inner sane
tuary OF the institution was reached by the
skiiltul workmen.
TRACES OF TIE ROBBERS
There are many indications that the bur-
glars have been planning their work at
least month. Some four weeks ago a
suspicious character fingered in the bank
so long, on various pretenses, that the Of
ticers marked him for a burglar A small
handbag was picked up near the Primary
school-house on Bridge street Dec. %,
containing pair of new handouts like
those used at Mr.. Whittlesey's, number
OF ring-staples, nails, etc. Only Tuesday
afternoon boy found in the attic of that
same school-house another bag in which
were several bits, bit-stock and whisk-
ey flask the discovery of which broke up
the school for the day and brought Sher-
ifs Wright and Potter to make closer
examination. They found in the same
place four new double army blankets. a
pulley and considerable rope, lot of sand
witches in paper bags from the Stamford
(oonn) railroad restaurant. roast chicken
apples, etc, copy of the New York Sun
OF Dec y. and pair of satinet drawers,
minus one leg, which last was found IN Mr..
Whittlesey's house, yesterday, having
been used as mask. The provision had
evidently been stored at least a month.
Still another bag was found, Yesterday
afternoon, under the old canal depot. now
tobacco warehouse, in which was a bot
tie of sweet oil and pair of very large
rubber shoes. At Mr.. Whittlesey's house
were found four large sledge-hammers,
five dark lanterns, number of handouts,
linen duster, several pairs of overalls,
two caps Zone of which was made to serve
as mask coat, several pairs of rub
bers. and piece of wrapping paper, on
which was printed the advertisement OF
Hall & Prev, of this city, from whom the
overalls were, doubtless, bought. Mr..
Whittlesey attended Committee meet
ing relative TO the Edward Church, in the
Directors room Of the Hampshire County
Bank, Tuesday evening, which closed
about 9 O'Clock, when the Clerk, IN pull