The New York herald., 1876-01-30
THE BANK BURGLARY.

CONTINUED ExcITEMKNT OVER THE NoRTHAMP.
TON BANK RoBBERY-THR LOSS SUPPOSED To
BE OVER MILLION OF DoILARs-AN IN.
PoRTANT cLEw TO THE BURGLARs-A Pho
roGRAPH OF ONE OF THE GANG.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Jan. %, 1876
The excitement in this CITY and in the up river towns
over Northampton Bank robbery shows very little
abatement as yet In private as well as in banking
and commercial circles, 1t is the theme of
saton There is denying that very general alarm
has been created all through the usually quiet stad,
unexcitable Connecticut valley and how to prevent a
recurrence OF the affair is quite as much tho
problem propounded and discussed as is the
question OF catching the men who skilfuly cleaned
out the Northampton Bank vault, recovering
the plunder The locksmiths and gunsmths are happy
well they may be- for It their harvest The banks
one and ALL either swapping OF their present locka
for more improved ones at least strengthening the
old ones with additional contrivances, the chron-
ometer attachment, for instance while every old
woman who has got the remnant or the sembance Of
an old silver the house acts II she expected
visit from some Jack Sheppard and is doubling the
bolts on doors and windows AS for the Northampton
affair ITSELF every development increases instead
diminishing It's magnitude, aud makes IL emphatcaly,
what Bank Examiner Needham to-day cbarac-
terised II, the most daring and successful
bank robbery the American history OF such
feonies and could hayo been carried on by none
sa7o the most skilled experts With ordinary people
Mr. Needham believes that the OF bank locks is
their ability protect the funds behind them and con-
siders it plain that the keyed combination has sig
nally failed The Northampton Bank people, by the
way, are of the same mind and have put
Yale chronometor lock, place OF the one easily
walked through by the burglars.
CHANCE OF A COMPROMISE.
n 4 lie ffV al
the which the robbers carried OF aggregated
fully 500, 600 il, indeed. Il did not exceed round
negotiable which only renders faint the hope
pressed by OF the bank officials, that the
robbers will be Offering to negotiate for
compromise returning the stolen securities for say
500 600 cash and questions asked Such PROPOSE
vor. just how much was got viii probably never DO
known owing TO the deposits these deposits being
special ones Simply left for safe keeping by their
owners) not being recorded by the bank, as
is the case with safe deposit companies, but
placed in the vault the original envelopes pack
ages which they when brought In and their
contents not known even to the bank officers.
IL Is coming out that these private deposits,
arc bigger than has been supposed, sam
pie case being that OF one man supposed to have
$l5, 600 in his package who proves to have had
$S2 000 Beyond the list OF special depositors which
sent you yesterday is impossible enlarge pres
ent other Interested parties refusing to give the
amount OF their missing securities. II hoped that
Mr.. Spllman the only loser from Williamsburg by
the burglary; but 1t appears that W. +. Thayer, tho
town, loses considerable Of his valuables de-
posit the bank Funds inherited by his three old
children from their mother his nrst wife,
deposit in the sale rned by the cracksmen.
The report that the town OF Northampton loses by
the robbery incorrect the towns deposit OF s5O 900
registered bonds which entirely protected,
dividends being drawn save by special order
Al IMPORTANT
The great amount OF property obtained by the
burglars and the heavy reward offered for their
has called into service the most skilled detective talent
of the country Besides the efforts made under
direction OF Superintendent Waing OF New York, no
legs than seven private detective bureaus already
enlisted There are nnumcrabe theories of course as
to who the robbers were, and where they are, but
there are few clews that promise much result
There is ccw, however which, II carefully worked,
probably the leader, OF the gang The photograph
Of the New York burglar, wno is described about
forty years old and weighing some 200 pounds which
was brought on BY OF the New YORK detectives Ia
recognized Northampton that OF q stranger
corresponds also in size to the Large person" noted
by Cashier Whtlesey the leader oil the gang when
they were binding him and his family on the night Of
months ago just such man came into the Hampshire
County Bank, al Northampton, and spent nearly an
hour with the cashier talking about investments.
taking meanwhile position so that he could look into
the open vault About the same time tho
President of the Crocker Bank, Turner's
Falls received letter from party in
New York. protesting to be detective, who wrote that
raid was soon 10 be made on that bank and the one in
Sheburne Falls and asking for employment in track
ing the cracksmen. The letter was shown 10 leading
New York business man. who declared IL be device
casually remarked 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 tho man taes with the photograph recognized
by the local officers and there would seem to be little
doubt that he the leader OF the gang who
''cracked" the Northampton Bank. His name
the detectives, OF course, refuse TO divulge
TO the people, but they profess little doubt OF their
ability TO track out his whereabouts long The
theory that the burglars came from Northampton In a
carriage taken up from Springfield, is considered Inn
probable II impossible by the parties knowing
most about the time OF the affair. Deputy Sherif
Wrignt's people very sure that II close
six O'Clock whom the team passed through Maple
street. though Mills Smith thinks that II at Smiths
ferry before this In any case, the burglars have now
got where cew, lar In their wake, is Of little
consequence
TURNING
There is good deal Of severe and just criticism
here on the action of the Committee OF the City
Council lighting the streets In ordering, in the face
this daring burglary that the street lights hereafter
be turned out at three A. NJ instead Of four A. NJ,
formerly the policemen go home at four O'clock and
II IS dayli ent till amer six o'clock Remembering
the old ndage that II is 'darkost just before dawn"
Springfield would 10 be Offering special premium
on burglary for the increase OF private caution
which this Northampton affair has created