The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-02-02

SPRISGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, jan
uary 27.-T The burglars who entered
the Northampton Bank Gil Wednes-
day night. first securing The cashier
in his house and taking irem him TIE
Ike! 3 of the vault, took q large amonat
OF ecurities, a considerable portion
OF hem noL being negotiable:
The robbers catered the house OF
Cashier Whittlesey aud bound,
gagged aud guarded for hours seven
people. They compelled him to give
them the combinations If the safe
vault, waited until they knew the
night watchman bad gone hume, aud
aud then getting into the veuit safe
with Only one of the four keys need
ed took a large amount Of securities.
An expert had to be summoned from
New York, and the lock was aot
opened until at an early this morn
ing. Cashier Whittiesey, when ak
ed to give the three combinations to
the vault for the outer, inner and
chest doors, gave them wrong twice
or thrice. but the burglars wrote
them down, and made him repeat
them. OF course they caught him IN
the attempt to nislead them, and the
exhibition of a pistol compelled him
to tell the truth, though be told them
four keys were necessary TO open the
lock, three of which we're Ut the
houses Of the other bank officers.
At four o'clock a. NJ Whit;lesey
was taken to a Downstairs bedroom,
the whole family we're gagged, and
four Of the burglars withdrew to
operate on the bank. Three hours
af;erward Mrs. Whittlesey succeed
ed in freeing herself and giving the
alarm from a window. The whole
party we're speedily liberated, aud
the cashier, still wearing the hand
cuffs, went TO the bank. A clever
workman soon after fitted key, and
all the persons handeuffed were re-
leased.
An examination ofthe bank showed
that the cracksmen had Unlocked the
oct door, but we're apparently baked
by the safe lock, lacking three of the
requisite four keys. They wrenched
offtwo dial5 which served as an in
dex for working the combination.
They were entirely unmolested, the
watch having gone home.
There is every indication that six
and perhaps all of them eft on the
six O'Clock train. Five of them bad
tickets previously bought, and one
paid his fare. Many of the appii-
ances it was remarked were home
made. The gags were childera's
rubber balls, pierced With a stiff wire.
The masks were drawers legs, some
with one hole, aud some with two
for the eyes. When the robbers saw
that Whittlesey was watching them
carefully for some marks Of identii-
cation they bIiudfJlded him, but be
observed that one of them was Of
very commanding stature. The TWO
or three robbers left TO guard tho
premises at the house took their de-
parture in season to catch the Spring
field train. At the latest advices 10
information had been received OF the
robbers.
The table Of funds taken is as fol
lows: Missouri State bouds. SIS, 600
Chicago, Rock Island aud Pacific
railroad shares. $4,000; Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern shares. S.
600; Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
shares, $4,000; Cleveland, Column
bus and Cincinnati, $4,000; Union
Pacific, $l4,0 coo; Ohio and Missis-
sippi second mortgages, $l65,000
United States bonds, $55, ZOO; AT.
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe, Sl5,-
O00; TT. Wayne, Jackson and Sagi-
nav, $4,000; Ogdensburg, and Lake
Champlain, Sc, 900; Missouri Pacific,
$50, 1000; Registered stock aud bonds
of United States and various corpo-
rations, $3.50, 600 to $500, O00; green.
backs and national bank bill, $40, goo;
Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan,
$1,000; New York and Erie bonds,
$1,000; Marine State bonds, $40, 600;
Hudson River railroad bonds, s., 600.