The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-02-03
The Robbery OF the Northampton
(Mass.) National Bank.

Later details of the robbery of the
Northampton National Bank, at North,
ampton, Mass, Tuesday night, by masked
robbers, state that the result is something
appalling. The table of securities taken
shows total of s670,0O0. Of course,
much of this is not negotiable, so that it
is difficult to estimate the real loss to the
bank and depositors. The bank officers
offer reward of s25, 900 for the return of
the property and the conviction of the
burglars. The loss falls comparatively
light upon the bank, the greater part OF
the securities belonging to special deposi-
toIs.
The robbers entered the house of Cashier
Whittlesey and bound, gagged and guard
ed for hours seven people. They COM
PEELED him to give them the combinations
of the safe vault, waited until they knew
the night watchman had gone home, and
then getting into the vault and safe with
only one OF the four keys needed, they
took q large amount of securities. An
expsst ia =, be r1mmoned from New
York. and the lock was moi opened until
an eally hour this morning. Cashier
Whittlesey, 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 them.
OF course they caught him in an attempt
to mislead tn EN-, and the exhibition of
pistol compelled him to tell the truth,
though he told them that four keys were
necessary to open the patent lock, three of
which were at the house of the other bank
officers. At four o'clock a. m. Whittlesey
was taken to a downs stairs bedroom. The
whole family were gagged and four Of the
burglars withdrew to operate on the bank
Three hours after Mrs. Whittlesey sue
ceeded 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 after fitted
key and all the persons handcutfed were
released An examination of the bank
showed that the cracksmen had unlocked
the outer door, but were apparently baked
by the safe-lock, lacking three of the
requisite four keys. They tried the metal
of the door with bars and wrenched off
the two dials which served as an
index for working the combination:
They were entirely unmolested, the
watch having gone home. There is
every indication that six, and perhaps all
of them left on the six O'Clock train.
Five of them had tickets previously
bought and one paid his fare. Many of
the appliances, it was remarked, were
homemade. The gags were children's
rubber balls, pierced with stiff wire. The
masks we're drawers legs, some with one
hole and some with two, for the eyes.
When the robbers saw that Whittlesey
was watching them carefully for som
marks of Identification, they blindfolded
him, but be observed that one Of them was
of a very commanding stature. The two
or three robbers left to guard the premises
at the house took their departure in sea-
son to catch the Springfield train. At the
latest advices no information had been re-
ceived of the robbers.
OF the total amount stolen loss of only
$12, 900 falls on the bank.
A small safe in the vault which the
burglars considered too insignificant to
touch contained $4,000, s25,OO0 in
bonds and other valuable property. BY
locking the doors of the vault the burglars
got twenty four hours start of the de-
tcctives, besides having time TO negotiate
much of the stolen property before the
fact Of the burglary was known.