The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-07-12
A Strange Bank Robbery.
How the Crime Was Traced to the
"Ten Tried Travellers"
BY ANNIE A. PRESTON.

BY ANNIE A. PhESION.
One dark. rainy night in November, 1858, the
Flint Rock Bank, that nestled beneath the
sleepy elms shading the principal street Of a
quiet New England village, was entered and
robbed of large sum OF money.
The situation was peculiar. A large and re-
msrkably intelligent black mastiff with white
feet. called sSilyer- stocking made the bank
his home. always sleeping there at night If q
stranger came around he would howl like a
park of artillery but he was never known, to
bark st one with whom he was familiar.
EVERYTHING in the bank, the morning after the
robbery, was found just as it had been left
the afternoon previous. The safe was locked :;
nothing had been disturbed, only-the money
was gone. =,
President Strand and Cashier Moreton, gen.
tlemen of unblemished reputation, had gone III
company that evening to attend political meet
ing in an adjacent town, and, on account OF the
Storm. remained there over night. They drove
home the next morning to find that the bank.
whose reliability in every respect was the pride
of their hearts. had been robbed In their alb
sence. As is often the case with country banks,
whose business Is not large or complicated, the
president and cashier alone attended TO the
clerical duties Of Flint Rock Bank, no other
person being employed in it.
ar1OuS 6uOrlS were NaluIs ui1uO w iSii0e WV
the thieves. All sorts Of rumors were atioat
concerning suspicious characters that had been
seen In the village few days before the rob-
bery, and it was said that carriage had been
heard driving through the streets that same
night. Popular opinion finally settled down
to the belief that the money was taken by
gang Of New York burglars; but the robbery
and the different mems used to trace the per-
spetrators formed the chief topic of conversa-
fion among the villagers during the entire win
ter. Miss Ethel Moreton, the beautiful Young
1dauehter OF { e cashier, had been made i'll by
the excitement and by nervous fear lest her
father should be blamed in some way for the
loss. and had not left her room since the crime
was discovered.
/. One evening IN the following April, Mr.. With
erell. owner of store in the village, called ON
Mr.. Strand. the bank president, at his residence,
and showed him bank note which both the
gentlemen agreed was the same one that Mr..
Nithereh had deposited in the bank on the after
noon preceding the robbery The note had been
torn and mended in such way that it was quite
noticeable, and was remarked upon by the two
gentlemen at the time. The note was in one OF
the packages of money that had been taken.
Mr.. Witherell, on being asked how it had again
come into his hands, said
"sIrs. Remington gave it to me this after
noon, in-paying bill which her husband con-
tracted soon after they came to town last
autumn, about fortnight before the bank was
robbed. They bought Cashier Moreton's Elm
street house, moving into it, you know. when
he took possession Of his new house around the
corner"
After some further conversation upon the
subject, the two gentlemen went together
to call on Mrs. Remington. They found that
her husband had just returned from two
weeks business trip. On making known their
errand, Mrs. Remington, a quiet, lady-like little
woman, said:
aWhen we purchased this house Xr. Moreton.
the former owner and occupant, proposed that
We should take the furnishings OF the front hall,
that had been made to order to suit the rather
curiously-shaped room. An antique chair
fits the curve of the stairway, the mirror
hat-rack Just suits the niche made by the chim-
ney fue, and the carpet, Of course, was cut to
fit the floor.
"Thinking that we should be unable to suit
ourselves better, We bought the articles, not
moving them at all the past winter. This spring,
whilemy husband was absent on his recent trip,
I thought would clean house, and, accordingly,
began In the front hall. Ifouud the hat-rack to
be ON castors, easily rolled out of its niche and
began with brush and dust-pan to clean where
it had stood, when, far back in the corner, with
few autumn leaves, covered with dust. l found
that bank-nCte.
Il naQ no lQ6a now II CdllS tuSle, Guu
thought would not mention the finding to
any one until my husbands return. when
would advice with him about it This morn
ing Mr. Witherells bill was sent in. We had
promised to pay the bill the first of April,
and, as we are comparatively strangers here, l
thought it best to pay it at once. looked over
the contents Of my pocSet-book, and found that
by using this ten-dollar note could make out the
amount Igaye the money to the messenger
with some misgivings, but thought If had done
wrong my husband would, on his return, which
had not expected SO soon, make the matter
right: r had Just related the circumstance to
him when YOU came IN.
Although the story seemed very plausible
ore, and the Remingtons were evidently re-
spectacle people, q warrant was soon issued
for their arrest A preliminary hearing be-
fore a magistrate was had. and they were
bound over to the next term OF the county
court. Mr.. 'Remington's friends readily fur
nishing bonds, he and his wife were not de-
prived of their liberty.
supplementary warrant for searching their
house was given to the officers, and they pro-
ceeded to make thorough scrutiny in the base
ment and rooms on the first floor. When they
reached the front hall, Oh their way to the
chambers, Mr.. Moreton, who had been requested
to assist in the search, pulled out the hat-rack
and, passing his hand down the old-fashioned
ceiling behind it, touched hidden spring
The door of;a secret cupboard that was framed
into bend of the chimney Immediately flew
open.
There, on the lowest shelf of the small and
otherwise empty recess, lay an embroidered
travelling bag, which Mr.. Moreton took out ant
unstrapped. To his and the officers aston
jshment, and to the dismay of the Remng
tons, the bag was filed with packages of bank
notes, which, on examination, proved to b.
tie identical ones taken from the Flint Eocl
Bank.
The Remingtons both affirmed that they Ina,