Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-08-04

Correspondence of the Boston Journal
NORTHAMPTON, Mass, Jnly IL, 1877
The trial Of Scott ami Dunlap, tho
supposed robbers of the Northampton
National Bauk in this town on the 10th
of January, 1876, by which operation
the large sumof 81 900, 600 or 81, 250, 00I
in casi.. bonds. and other securities was
realized, has stirred up this community
as no other circumstance has done since
the Mil River food in 1874. The facts
of the robbery are already pretty well
knowR-t be- .$zieIing of Cashier Whit
flescv% h1ase at midnight by a gang of
five masked men; the binding of him.
self and family and the tortures and
threats by which The combinations of the
bank-locks were forced from him; the
successful plumber OF the bank and the
escape OF the robbers; their subsequent
capture and the confession of their ac-
compliee, Edison.
As wa, anticipated, thl chief point Of
interest has been the testimony Of Ed
son. the handbook expert, and the ac-
complete and abettor before the act of
the thieves who actually COM
mitted the robbery This man is curl
Gus psychological puzzle, and grows
more unfaihcnable and mysterious the
more one seeks to sound him. In the
most natural and nonchalant manner of
which it is possible 10 conceive, he gave
evidence which, if produced by another
person, would have branded him with a
disgrace compared to which that at
taching to Scott and Dunlap had APP
peared scarcely worth mentioning. No
report "a this trial which have yet seen
has ihsff EXPOSED the singular;ty of Ed
sons confession. Passing over the de-
tails of his preliminary efforts. which
include the examination and subsequent
attempts at robbery of no less than 10
banks in various parts of the country
from Nantucket 10 Kentucky, come at
once to the history of his connection
with the Northampton Bank robbery,
where his noblest triumph was achieved.
EDsoN's KNAvERY.
Acting Is trusted agent for Herring
a. Co, safe manufacturers of New York,
and being at the same time partner on
an equal footing in a conspiracy with
Scott, Dunlap and Corners to rob any
and all banks which Edson's expert
skill might suggest as open to burglar
ious attacks, he came to the Northamp-
ton Bank in August. 1873. examined the
new doors which he had placed in the
vault on the previous month, found that
the keys worked hard, took them to
New York 10 be altered, gave dupli-
Gates to his aceomplices and returned
the originals to the bank officers. The
robbery would doubtless have been
committed at about this time had not
the bank changed its dials and keys, a
proceeding which put stop TO opera
tions Tor the time being In November
Edison came again TO the bank. secured
the keys under pretense OF, filing them,
made al impression of them in wax
which Scott had given 10 him, and was
again prepared for action His CROWN
ing feat OF audacity was perpetrated
upon Mr.. Warmer, the Vice-Prcsident
of The bank, with whom he took tea at
this time. II was, of course. a great
consequence to the burglars that they
should be Obliged to invade as few
houses as possible in their attempts to
gain a knowledge OF the combinations |
necessary TO unlock the various doors Of |
the bank, and to narrow down the pos
session of these secrets to the fewest |
number Of persons was one object of |
E3sen's visit. He found that Mr.. Whit
tlesey had all the combinations except |
that 10 the inner vault door, which |
was intrus;ed to a young clerk,
aud he therefore so strongly |
urged upon Mr.. Warmer the danger
likely to be incurred by intrusting a
mere boy with such secret that Mr..
Warmer became quite alarmed, and on
the following day told Edison that he
had followed his suggestion, changed
the combination, and given it to MIR.