The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-18
Daring Bank Robbery.

Lie IeOple Dank OF Manchester,
Mich, was entered by burglars on
Tuesday morning, the 10th inst, and
over $4,000 in currency taken from it's
vaults. From all the particulars
which The Times correspondent can
ascertain this burglary is one of the
most daring ones in the annals of
crime. 1t seemed as though nature
herself had c0nspired to assist the des-
peradoeS in their desperate work.
The night was dark and dismal, and
high wind had been blowing till after
m dnight. This, added to the fact that
the town is a small village OF about
1880 inhabitants, with no night watch
man, gave the robbers almost absolute
immunity from interruption. The fol-
lowing is a description of the bank
building and particulars OF the burg
larry, as near as can be ascertained:
| The People bank is located in brick
block, on the main street of the village.
That contained what was supposed to
be an extra burglar and fire-proof
vault, located in the center of the bank,
between the cashiers office and the d.
rectors' room. The front of the Of
flee is lighted by two large plate-glass
windows also, two doors in the rear
and one in front give access to the
building. Within the vault was a
large safe, supposed to be fire and
burglar-proof. Now to the theory Of
the burglary. The burglars entered by
| the rear door, probably using a jimmy.
Thence they passed to the front door
and loosened the lock, giving ready
egress to the street. The vault was
thus approached, and the strong brick
wall, Is inches in thickness, was CHS
eled through and an aperture made of
sufficient size to admit full-sized man.
The inside vault door was opened from
within by uncapping the lock, but the
inside door. made OF strong iron and
firmly secured, was as yet unentered.
The burglars then drilled into the safe
door and introduced, it is supposed,
a nitro-glycerine cartridge. The mine
was now ready, and soon loud con-
cussion started the quiet brrghers in
their beds. The shell of the safe door
was riven and torn from it's hinges, the
outside vault door blown open, despite
it's locks and bars, and the large plate
windows, 25 feet further on, shattered
into thousand pieces. The clock on
the wall was stopped at 10 minutes of
2 A. NJ, which was the time of the eX-
plosion. Shortly after second explo-
sion tore away the other distractions,
and the safe was open. The iron CASH
| box must soon have given away before
the wedges which were driven into it,
and the rich booty was secured. The
books, papers, and notes were uuntoch-
ed, and the robbers. after turning the
bank card to the street so as to read
s'bank open,'' departed unmolested.
Both of the explosions were distinctly
heard by the citizens. One person
who was sleeping near the bank saw
three men enter after the first report,
but dare not for his life raise the
alarm. There is no clue yet.
There is a story of a traveller, who,
wishing to reach Boston, had somehow
got turned around, and was trotting
along very composedly in the opposite
direction from the right one to that
town. Meeting farmer in the road,
he drew up and asked, 'sHow far is it
to Boston, if l keep straight on!''
sWell," said the farmer, with twinkle
in his intelligent eye, eff We keep
straight on the way ye are going now,
it's about twenty-five Thousand miles
but if We turn right around, and go
t'Other way, it's about half mile."
Yoneg Lord-''I say, you fellah, can't
I have car all to my self?'' Brake
man --''And who are you?'' Young
Lord am Lord Thornton's sons
Brakeman-''And what do you want a
car all to yourself fort" Young Lord
"Why, you know, don't want to as
sociate with those people; 1 want a
car by myself" Brakeman-"Wel], if
Lord Thornton himself was here, be