The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-02-11
A GREAT BANK ROBBERY.
skilled Cr.eksmss Get s870, 900 Oct Of
the Northampton Nsttossi-Oae OF the
the Bigg ''Sobs'' ON Record.
lFrom lie Springfield MAS. Republican. Jan.
tnarr - 4

Northampton woke up, Wednesday
forenoon, 10 learn Of the most audaciOus
deliberate and startling bank robbery
that the New England country towns. II
not the whole country, have ever known.
A band OF seven men. who had been
hanging about the town for at least a
month. IL would seem, entered the house
Of Cashier Whiiilesey of the old North
ampton National Bank, and bound.
gagged and guarded for hours, seven
people. They compelled him 10 give
them REORGANIZATION on the safe vault,
waited until they knew the night watch
man had gone home. and then. getting
into the vault and safe with only one Of
the four KEYS needed. took a large
amount Of the securities, locked the
vault after them. and departed on the
early morning Springfield train; and
whence they came and whittier they
went, up 10 date, Is 4 riddle. An expert
had 10 be summoned from New York,
and the lock was not opened until an
early hour. Thursday morning The re-
suit Is sufficiently appallisg. The table
IF the securities taken shows total Of
$4,000 OF course much u this is not
negotiable, so that il is difficult 10 esti-
mate the real loss 10 the hank and the
depositors- The bank officers offer a
reward Of S25. go for the return Of the
property, and the conviction Of the
burglars. The loss falls comparatively
lightly upon the bank. the greater part
Of the securities belonging TO special de-
positOrs.
The band are supposed to have en-
tered the house Of Mr.. Whitflesey or
Elm Street, about mile from the bank,
through a second-story window. He
and his wife were aroused about / a.
m, and ordered by two Of the burglars
20 dress. The other occupants Of the
house-T. Is. Cutler. Gazette printer,
and wife, Miss Matte G.. White Of Viii
Transport. Pa. Maria Benton, an inva-
Id boarder. and the servant girl-had
been similarly awakened. and were filed
into the Mhiftlesey bedroom. All
were bound and gagged. the burglars
running short Of rope and dispatching
tiss servant for the clOthes-line. The
burglars, who wore Kid gloves. were
well disguised By masks made from the
legs Of satinet drawers. with places cut
for the eyes. long linen busters and blue
overalls. They took. besides the watch,
SIS from Mr.. Whiftle>ey's pocket.
Mr.. Whiiflesey, when asked To give
the three combinations to the vault. for
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 a pistol compelled the truth,
though he told them that four KEYS were
necessary To open the patent lock. three
u which were az the houses Of the other
sev was taken 10 A downstairs bed
room. the whole family gagged. and
four II the burglars Withdrew 10 oper-
ate on the bank Three hours after.
Mrs. Whitfiesey succeeded in freeing
herself and giving the alarm from
window. Ths whole party were speed
lis liberated. and the cashier. siillwear-
ing the handouts. went 20 the bank a
clever workman soon after fitted a KEY
and all the handcuffed were released
Examination at the bank showed that
The cr2cksmen had unlocked the outer
door. but were apparently baked blythe
safe-lock. lacking three OF the requisite
four KEYS. They tried the metal Of the
door with bars. and wrenched of two
dials. which serve n anindex for working
the combination. hoping 50 10 tampc.'
with the lock. They were entirely un-
molesiei. the watch having gone home
There is every indication that six and
perhaps all 81 them left On Conductor
Adams's O'Clock southern train: FIVE
Of them had tickets previously bought.
and one paid his fare. II j. surmised
that one Of them may have got left. for
a man was inguiring. soon after, anX-
i0usly for a chance 10 follow the regu-
lar train By freight: and a team driven /.
furiously toward Holvokc WAS heard by
the family Of Sheriff Wright passing on /
Maple Street. where. also. linen dlster 4
wa> picked up. The lock upon the I
vault was peculiar and supposed G.
pccially safe affair. Il wa Dexter's
double dial combination. with lIerring's
patent for discOnnecting the tumblers
from the spindle. was patented by Oscar 4
Yale, last April. and put on this bank 4
only last October. For safety il was
accounted fully equal 10, IL not better 4
than. the chrOnometer lock. But the 4
gang knew all the ins and outs " locks. \
for when Mr. Whitilesey told them that /.
they could not enter with but one IF the
four keys required. they had responded.
ave know more about bank locks than 4
you do"
There are many indications that the I
burglars have been planning their work I
for at least month. Some four weeks \
go. suspicious character fingered in
the bank 40 long. on various preteDses.
that the officers marked him for bur I
glar. A small hand bag was picked up /
near the primary school-house on 4
Bridge Street. December y, containing 1
a pair Of new handouts, like those used i
at Mr. Whittlesey's, number of ring