Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-02-03
General News.
q Daring Robbery.
From tho Springfield Republican. IIan. ..


northampton woke up, yesterday fore
noon. To learn of the most andaclcus, de-
lbcrate and startling bank robbery that
Western Massachusetts, II not the whole
country, has ever known.
TIE ROBBERS AND THEIR BOOTY.
y band OF seven men, who had been
hanging about the town for at least q
month. entered the house OF Cashier
Whittlesey, Of the Northamton National
Bank, and bound. gagged aud guarded for
hours, seven people. They compelled
him to give them The combinations Oh IL
safe vault. waited until thee knew the
night Waterman had gone home, aud then
getting into the vault and safe with only
one of the -four Keys needed took large
amount OF securities. locked the vault az
ter them, and departed on the early morn
Ing Springfield train; and whence they
came. and whittier they went, up 10 date,
i riddle. An expert had to he sum
moned from New York, and the lock was
not opened until an early hour this morn
ing. The result Is sufficiently appalling.
The table - the -ecuri'ie- taken shows a
total Of $4,000. Oh tu,.se l4.4ch OF this
is not negotiable. SO that il is difficult to
estimate the real loss OF the bank aud tn .
depositors. The bank officers offer a re-
ward of S25 900 for the return of the prop
erty, aHd the CONVICTION OF the burglars.
The los. falls comparatively lightly upon
the bank. the greater part OF the securities
belonging TO special depositors.
CAPTURING THE CASHIER.
The band are supposed to have entered
the house of Mr.. Whittlesey, on Elm street
about half mile IRON the bank through a
second story window. He and his wife
were aroused about / 4. NJ, and ordered
BY two OF the burglars to dress The 9TH
er occupants of the house-T. Il. Cutler. a
Gazette printer, and wife. Miss Matte c.
White, oil Williamsport, Pa, Maria Ben
ton, an invalid boarder, and the servant
grl-had been similarly awakened aud
were filed into the Whttlesey bedroom
All were bound and gagged, the burglars
running short of rope rnd despatching the
servant for the clotheslite. The men
were rather "A jolly set. inclined To pay
some a'tentiou 10 the comfort OF their vic
tim; luey advised the women 10 put on
three pairs Of stocking. so that the bind
ing ropes would not cut them. One of
them casually remarked that he had no.
deed Dir. WhiItiesey'y fine watch at
Watch HHli, L. l.. TWO years, ago and
tried TO claim acquaintance with him from
that time. This watch they took. bnt Mrs
Whittlesey siyly pitched hers under the
bureau and so saved it: they picked her
fine cloak out OF the bureau and she said.
give me that Old thing; I'm cold" and
gained that. One of the ladies said she
was sick aud needed medicine. whereupon
AL attentive burglar offered her spoonful
OF brandy. Conversation was carried on
more or less briskly, but always pleasant
l.
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, be-
sides the watch, sl5 from Mr.. Whittlesey's
pocket.
OPENING THE VAULTS.
Mr.. 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.
OF course they caught him and a pistol
compelled the truth, though he told them
thai four keys were necessary to open the
patent lock, three of which were at the
house of the other bank officers. AT 4 A.
NJ. Mr.. Whittlesey was taken to "A down.
stairs bedroom, the whole family gagged,
tiiu iodi VI tue ouEeidi> WltuuIcW "a Optf-
ate on the bank. Three hours after Mrs.
Whttlesey succeeded in freeing herself
and giving the alarm from window The
whole party were speedily liberated. aud
the cashier still wearing the handouts,
went to the bank. A clever workman
soon fitted key. and all the handcuf-
ed were released. Examination at the
bank showed that the cracksmen had un-
locked the outer door. but were apparent
ly baked by the safe lock. lacking three of
the requisite four keys. They tried the
metal of the door with bars aud wrenched
of two dials, which serve as an index for
working the combination. hopi ~ SO to
tamper with the lock. They were entirely
unmolested. the watch having gone home.
There is every indication that six and per.
haps all of them left on Conductor Adams
6 O'Clock southern train; five of them had
tickets previously bought, and one paid
his fare. 1t is surmised that one of them
may have got left, for man was insuiring,
soon after, anxiously for a chance
chance to follow the regular train BY
freight: aud team driven furiously to-
ward Holyoke was heard by the family OF
Sheriff Wright passing OH Maple street,
where, also, linen buster was picked up.