The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-02-09
THE GREAT BANK RonBERY.


robbery at Northampton, Mass, by
which securities and funds aggregating
S720,000 were taken. or this amount
the greater loss falls on special depos.
itors, the lose to the bank being only
$4,000. A reward to $25,000 is offer
ed
About $500, 900 is in registered bonds
and certificates of stock, and therefore
not negotiable. The table of the funds
taken is as follows: Missouri state
bonds, $4,000; Chicago, Rock Island
Il Pacific railroad shares, S5,000;
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, So
900; G. B. & Quincy Ss., 81 900; C.
G. q Cincinnati, $4,000; Union Pa
cific, 200; Ohio 81 Mississippi sec
ond mostgages, S165,000; United
States bonds. $4,000; Atchison Tope-
ka & Santa Fe, $4,000; Fort Wayne,
jackson & Saginaw, $4,000; Ogdens.
burg & Lake Champlain, 5000; Mis-
souri, Pacific, 100000; registered stock
and bonds of the United States and
various corporations, $350,000 to
S400,000 greenbacks and national
bank bills 10000; Detroit, Lansing
& Lake Michigan, $1,000.
The perpetrators are band of sew
ell men who have been hanging around
the town for month. The band are
supposed to have entered the house of
Mr.. Whittlesey, the Cashier, on Elm
street, about half milo from the
bank, through second-story window.
He and his wife were aroused about !
a. M, and ordered by two of the burg.
lars to dress. The other occupants of
the house, T. B. Cutler, Gazette prin-
ter, and wife, Miss Matte G. White, of
Wi.liamsport,. Pa, Maria Benton, an
invalid boarder. and the servant girl,
had been similarly awakened and fled
into the Whttlcsey bed room. All
were bound and gagged, the burglars
running short of rope and dispatching
the servant for the clothes line. The
men were rather a jolly set, inclined
to pay some attention to the comfort
of their victims; they advised the wo.
men to put On three pairs of stockings
so that the binding ropes would not cut
them. One Of them casually remark.
ed that he had noticed Mr.. Wittlesey's
fine watch at Watch Hill, r. l., two
years ago, and tried to claim acquaint-
ancc with him from that time. This
watch they took, but Mrs. Whittlesey
slyly pitched hers under the bureau
and so saved it; they picked her fine
cloak out of the bureau, and she said.
HGive me that old thing; I'm cold,"
and gained that. One of the ladies
said she was sick and needed medicine,
whereupon an attentive burglar offered
her spoonful Of brandy. Conver-
sation was carried on, more or less
briskly, but always pleasantly, up to
A a. m. The burglars, who wore kid
gloves, we're we'll disguised by masks
made from the legs Of satinet drawers,
with places cut for the eyes, long lin
en- busters and blue oyeralls. They
took, besides the watch, fifteen dollars
from Mr.. Whittlesey's pocket.
They then secured tue bank keys.
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 the attempt
to mislea6 them, and the exhibition of
a 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 all at the
houses Of the o,her bank officers. At
4 o'clock a. N. Whittlesey was taken
to down stairs bed room. The whole
family were gagged. and four of the
burglars Withdrew to operate on the
bank. Three hours after Mrs. Whit
tlesey succeeded in freeing herself and
giving the alarm from window. The
whole party were speedily liberated,
and the cashier, still wearing the hand
cuffs, went to the bank, A workman
soon after fitted key, and all the per-
sons handcuffed were released. An
examination of the bank showed that
the thieves had unlocked the outer
door, hut we're apparently baked by
the safe lock, lacking three of the
requisite -four keys. They tried the
metal of the door with bars, wrenehed
off two dials which served as an index
for working the combination, hoping
thus to tamper with the lock; they
were entirely unmolested, the watch
man having gone home. The lock up.
on the vault was a supposed especially
safe affair. 1t was Dexter's double
dial combination, with Herring's pat.
ent for disconnecting the tumblers