The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-10
The Northampton Bank.


tsprinsneld Dispatch to N. Y. Herald
There is naturally much speculation
as to how the burglars succeeded 30 easily
in efiecting an entrance to the vault with
only the combination and one of the
four keys supposed to be absolutely
necessary for that purpose. The opinion
is strong among the bank officials and
others that the burglars had previous
accurate knowledge Of the four parts of
the key, or perhaps even duplicate keys
obtained directly from the factory where
the lock was made, and that some of the
recently discharged men from the factory
were themselves among the burglars.
The lock was one of Dexter's double dial
combination, with Herring's patent for
disconnecting the tumblers from the
spindle, was patented by Oscar Yale last
April and put on his bank only last
October for safety. 1t was accounted
fully equal to if not better than the
chronometer lock, but the burglars evil
IDENTIFY knew all the ins and outs of the
lock; indeed, when the cashier, Mr..
Whittlesey, told them that they could
not enter with but one of the four keys
required, they responded, "We know
more about bank locks than you do" 1t
is certain that all the vault doors Of the
bank were opened with the greatest ease
and celerity after the cashier had been
forced to give the combination. There
is some indication, however, that the
burglars did not need any key at all, but
only the combination, owing to the care
lessness of the bank officials or ignorance
Oh their part of the nature of the lock.
BY the construction of the lock the dial
used should be disconnected from the
spindle on locking up at night, and then
the four parts of the key will be neces-
sary to connect the dial with the spindle,
and after that the combination comes in
play. Now, the first question naturally
asked by Mr.. Delin, the New York ex-
= srt who came to open the vault door,
was, "Did you discOnnect that dial from
the spindleT and the clerk interrogated
could not tell, and question to another
person connected with the bank brought
the same answer, so, also, a third ques-
ton; and Delin says it may be that the
burglars needed no key at all, but only
the combination, which they received
from the cashier. The perfection of the
plans and the shrewd forethought of the
seven professionals is made apparent by
every freshly considered detail of the
execution of their work. Not only were
they masked and wore kid gloves, busters,
etc, but during the four hours stay at
the house of the cashier, Whittlesey,
they addressed each other by numbers,
as, "No. 3, button on those handouts" !"
"No. 6, do this" etc.
The men were rather jolly set, in
clined to pay some attention to the COM
fort of their victims. They advised the
women to put on three pairs of stock
ings, so that the binding ropes would not
cut them. One of them casually re-
marked that he noticed Mr.. Whittlesey's 3
fine watch at Watch Hill, r. l., two
years ago, and tried to claim acquaint-
ance with him from that time. This
watch they took. When the fellows
noticed that Mr.. Whittlesey was watch
ing them carefully for some mark of
identification they blindfolded him, but
he observed that one of them was of a
very commanding stature. Mrs. Whit
tlesey seemed to have displayed rare wit
and presence of mind throughout her
trying confinement. When being bound
she doubled up her hand 30 that she
might loosen the cords, but was COM
mandcd to lay her hand fiat. Seeming
to obey, she still raised the hand enough
to work it out of the ropes when the
time came. She also saved her watch
by slyly pitching it under the bureau
and when they picked her fine cloak out
of the bureau, and she said, "Give me
that old thing, Pm cold," she gained
that. One of the ladies said she was
sick and. needed medicine; whereupon
an attentive burglar offered her spoon
full of brandy.
There is scarcely clew to the bur.
glars. Evidently the gang divided on
reaching the city, part going to New
York and part to Roston, while 1t is
surmised that one of them got left at
Northampton, for man was inquiring
soon after anxiously for chance to
follow the regular train by a freight
train, and team, driven furiously to-
ward Holyoke, was heard by the family
of Sheriff Wright passing on Maple
street, where also linen duster was
picked up. There are many indications
that the burglars have been planning
their work for at least month. Some
four weeks ago suspicious looking char
acter fingered in the bank SO long on
various pretenses that the officers mark
ed him for burglar. They certainly
got enough available property to pay
them we'll for their job and the time it
took to work it up.