The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-02-10

1
ones, or at least strengthening the OLE
ones with additional contrivances, as th'
chronometer attachment, for instance
while every old woman who has got th'
remnant or the semblance of an old sill
yer spoon in the house acts as if she ex
pected visit from some Jack Sheppard
and is doubling the bolts on doors anG
windows. AS for the northampton affail
itself, every new development increase.
instead of diminishing its magnitude, anG
makes it enphatically the most daring
and successful bank robbery in the
American history of such felonies, anG
could have been carried on by none save
the most skillful experts.
It is now pretty clearly proved that the
amount of the securities which the rob
bers carried off aggregated fully $780,
300, if, indeed, it did not exceed q round
million, and that fully 100000. of this
amount is easily negotiable, which only
renders more faint the hope expressed by
some of the bank officials, that the rob.
bers will soon be Offering to negotiate fol
9, compromise, returning the stolen secu-
| rites for say 100000 cash and no ques-
tions asked. Such proposition It'll said
would be received with considerable
favor. Just how much was got will
probably never be known, owing to the
deposits these deposits being special ones
simp.7 left for safe keeping by their
owners) not being recorded by the bank,
as is the case with safe deposit compa-
MES, but were placed in the vault, in the
original envelopes or packages in which
they were when brought in, and their
contents were not known even to the
bank officers. 1t is coming out that these
private deposits, which were not opened
by the bank people, are bigger than has
been supposed, a sample case being that
of one man supposed to have $4,000 in
his package, who proves to have had
$4,000. ~
The report that the town of Northamp-
ton loses By the robbery is incorrect.
The towns deposit of $50, 900 was in reg
istered bonds, which are entirely protee.
ted, no dividends being drawn save by
special order.
AN IMPORTANT CLEw.
The great amount of property obtained
by the burglars and the heavy reward
offered for their arrest has called into
service the most skilled detective talent
of the country. Besides the efforts made
under direction of Superintendent Wall
ing, of New York, no less than seven
private detective bureaus are already en-
listed. There are innumerable theories
of course as to who the robbers were, and
where they are, but there are few clews
that promise much result. There is one
clew, however, which, if carefully worked,
may lead to the detection of one at least,
and probably the leader, of the gang.
The photograph Of New York burglar,
who is described as about forty years old,
and weighing some 200 pounds, which
was brought on by one of the New York
detectives, is recognized at Northampton
as that of stranger seen in the town
several times during the past month. He
corresponds also il size to the "large per-
son" noted by Cashier Whittlesey as the
leader of the gang when they were bind
ing him and his family on the night Of
the robbery. 1t is also remembered that
several months ago just such man came
into the Hampshire County Bank, at
Northampton, and spent nearly an hour
with the cashier talking about invest
ments, taking meanwhile a position so
that he could look into the open vault.
About the same time the President of the
Crocker Bank, at Turner's Falls, received
letter from party in New York, pro-
Tossing to be detective, who wrote that
a raid was soon to be made on that bank
and the one in Shelburne Falls, and ask
ing for employment in tracking the cracks
men. The letter was shown to leading
New York business man, who declared it
10 be device of burglars to become fa-
lniliar with the bank, and he casually re-
marked that man rode some distance
with him on the northern train from this
city day or two before, whom he knew
to be burglar. His description of the
man tallies with the photograph now re-
cognized by the local officers, and. there
would seem to be little doubt that he was
the leader of the gang who Cracked" the
Northampton Bank. His name the de-
te,ctiyes, of course, refuse to divulge to
the people, but they profess little doubt
Of their ability to track out his wherea-
bouts ere long.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Jan. 81, 1876.
Northampton was put in feverish
condition again this afternoon, not by
another bank burglar, but by the arrival
in town, in charge of officers, of a noto-
rious burglar named Stevens, who has
been arrested on suspicion of being con-
cerned in the bank burglary last week.
A large crowd had gathered at the depot
on the strength of rumor that he was
coming, but were disappointed, the Off
GERS taking him off the smoking Garland
quietly walking him uptown, while the
Northampton officer, just for ruse, kept
his team at the other end of the depot,
where the crowd waited in vain. Only
half dozen followed the prisoner to the
Mansion House, where in room he was
examined by officers and bank officials.
The stairway from the lower to the upper
hall of the hotel was guarded by Deputy
Sheriff Plotter, and Policemen D. L. Har-
riss and J. D. Brewer, of Springfield, were
among the examining party.
THE ROBBERY PRoPHESIED.
Whether he is one of gang, and what
evidence has been obtained against him,
are all matters of guess-work yet, as the
officers are very reticent on the subject.
It is recalled with considerable interest
by persons in this city to-day that the
peripatetic advent preacher, Elder Lutz,
who has been holding forth in this city
and over the river in West Springfield
this winter, told his people two or three
weeks ago that there was going to be a
robbery hereabouts. He was not sure it
would be in this city, but Springfield or
some town in the vicinity was doomed.
The ground on which he based his pre-
diction was that he had seen in town sew
eral professional gentlemen with whom
he was acquainted in those remote days,
when, tradition says, he was Zone of the
b'hoys" himself, and whom he knew to
be accomplished cracksmen who would
not be hanging about without job, and
big one, on hand. 1t is not impossible
that the Elder will be the humble instru-