The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-13
THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY.
HOW ". u. FDSON WIS INDUCED TO JOIN
THE GANG or BURGLIRs.
Onered $4,000 90 Open Hall Lock-Uow
the Northampton dob wns Planned and
Executed Conviction OF scott aud Dunlap.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass, July 12.-The jury's !
verdict to-day Of guilty in the case Of Scott and
Dunlap caused little sensation. Every one cx-
pected it. But the remarkable Developments Of |
the trial. the strange and probably truthful
story Of Edison. and the anger with which Il |
celebrated Boston lawyer. Mr.. Sweet2"r, left his |
clicnts-thc prisoners-in the lurch will put tho |
trial Mt the head OF celebrated causes in this
country. Scott and Dunlap had been positively
identified as two Of the masked men who
bound and gagged the cashier and
family. and forced from him the
combination Of the bank lock. Other slightly |
corroborativc evidence had been introduced.
and then Edison came on the stand. His APP
pcarancc was not a surprise to the prisoners or
their counsel. for It was well known that he
would testify Mr. swcetzcr. tho prisoners
counsel. had prepared for all this. He expected
10 prove Edson's bad chara ter. n scrapc in
Boston. and to throw such doubt upon his story
as to bother the jury. He did not expect that
Edson would mako such clean breast
OF it as to implcate himself. and make
him liable to arrest for other similar
robbcres. But Edson did this. He voluntarily
admitted just such things as Mr.. Swoetzer ex-
pcrtcd 10 force from him on cross examination.
and in so doing took away all chance to break
his testimony In disgust. and seeing certain
failure before him. the grent counsellor angriiy
withdrew. Nothing remained to be- done but to
deliver n charge to the jury. which was done
this morning. and after II brief absence they
brought in a verdict Of guilty. Exceptions
were Immediately filed by the other coun-
sci of the prisoners and stay of sentence
granted until September. Meanwhile another
trial awaits tns men i2r ereaN,ns inio @ ,tthee thee
take place next Monday. Conviction seems almost
certain. ns Edison will again appear ns awltness.
Gen. Butler has been retained to defend. how
ever. III the men convicted on tulS tnurke
they will rrt life sentence.
The SuN has already printed summary 81
Edson's testimony. but the story which lies tack
of II remains to bc given. Even Mr.: Pnk"rion.
of the Detective Agency. who has Edison IN his
should have the pluck 10 toll Of his
own accord not only the facts regard.
also ais T., to stand ready 10 testify r.gardins
similar rohh"ries and Attempted rnhberies Of
toga in 1874 Long Island National 1874 Cow
ingtOn, Ky, 1875; Rockville. Conn. 1870 PITTS
is?5; Wikesbarrd' 1915; and Northampton
1876. And this story is told when only two q
the eight men in The gang ARE IN lail. Conners
Elson is a, the ,Man,aiop House with Mr.;
him to The suS reporter Eis.n said, a. lhr RE-
porter held out his hand. a.. you don't want
Wall street broker. lie j. short. thicks't. and
dresses in good style. Ills hair is strraked
WITH gray: and NJ iisni ol1nl. mon-ta nr .- ESQ
plainly suffering great mental trouble. his hrtt
| blue eyes would occasionally danr ns Mr.
| PinkertOn uttered u pleasautry. and his fresh
ruddy complexion Indicated that whatever u-c
he made Of his share Of the plumber was not in
| the way Of deep dissi patton. ii" said:
e ought not to say anything about this mat;
ter except what | said on the trial Noi that
| care personally. tut there II 70 b" another trial
next week. and i might DO some harm II were
| To- toll the whole now. The STATE Counsel re-
." DON'T you feel little anxious about your
pcrsunal -aictyf'
Not a b,t. | don't fear those men any more
for them IT they try To- 10 me any HARM"
WHY did you give the facts to the bank
For two reasons. First for my own protcc
! ton just ~ stated on IN" trH. ln"S" men
thing thry thought brst Th,n / wished
| To max" an the restitution in my power, ami 10
| ha,,th people who have lost money through
'" you know ali about tho other auempts?"
why. ot course butt then You really must not
| tell al. know Of this thing. but must not Just
" II was hir Ringto rob the bnnks.7
l"s. indeed 4 WIS. think that Mr. Swo"t-
| ~ N,9it qnd Dunlap, ,mWtrr. 4d not i4ink
lw1nld unbp-om iny-'if When he found cut
/ ms clients could NOT get clear
Yes" -nid Mr.. pmkort.n. Elson doesn't
| worry at all nhVut the other. Red Lenry wouldn't
| hes itair 10 hay HIM out: nor would Billy Con-
ners. Hut th'y won't DO H. They don't know
where he keeps hm-g Il. and he will keep away
| fInm their huuntS. But II they should meet
him they'll fud man with rs mu'h neryc rs
| hey vr got ami ~ pnick with the . .tol"
| Il viii willingly tell You how ms thing was
worked up" continued Mr.. Pnkcrion. and
how El-on came 70 confess. About tue other
WIS "a salesman for Herring Go. = SAT :. and ~
| very quick. smart man. som. timr in l@lB hr
| met Billy tonn"rs IN New YORK. anldrnially.
Edson used Ia stable b. = horse al Ryan's in Thlr-
| ty-ilith street Ryan Aa- been crooked. and he
ir,i@iG TFpnnr7 70 ,s En1pn, ,na, Al lr, tonnoT-
thing. lie told Edison TINT man n hs husi-
moss could make, lo's Of money ani he told him
inat II he would ten now Han lo'k couli bee
| opened II would he worth hlg pile. sul
sad II couldn't be done. Connol- led up 10
what he WAS after gradually. Finally he told
llson that h. and some others wanted toE't
off.rni Ils6n 80. 900 if he would ioll them how
II could be- opened histurned out aiterwaHrI
Tocn Connor- ofIered sjooOO big bait AMI
with the bank folks at Flmira. he got the k.v.
and gave Counors and Scott "A duplicate. Th'
dernlinng n" ylnt hui were DIS "Nrr'd; All
| got away hut johnny brrfy. ana he ls 'oins
lime IN An.urn noY ior tnnt. ih,p lollowri
get them an air punll iini IL used o. blow pow
der into safes, that b, VIZ To hnve tn per cont.
OF all the proceeds "i rohh"rcs whore Ihe puml
was used. and Ii, it'd share.
Finally the Northnwpl9n Bank was pro-
thought well OF Elson. and he WIS sent on 10
L,f,.r,. the robbery. l. l-on found ut nm re-
| WuuIrsev. the cashirr. and u hov. lie also
lnrnrl thHt the vaults could not Toe opened
without tour kcys being used. one of lio-r
WAS kept hy the Prs dent ON" hy the Vice.
President. ono by IN" rnshi"i and on" iy
a dir..tOr Eison told the bank ON rrs HAT
wn- foolish 10 l,i "a hoy have one cln hln'iion.
and tle> l.ll iniot that trtp and changed j., CIV
/ ing Mr. Wu''trory loth combine iNns. In"n
thr point WIS 10 g'i the four k}s, Onrdly l.d-
son WIS There. 'ud susg si'i ihui tAe keys
needed fling. thn ON rrs at on 'e gave them
10 hin, and he nnd them IN a frw min
ut.s hnt he secriy took an impr esIou pf
them. From thoso impressions four Mh"r X 'v-
We're ma io. md teen his part oi ih' WorN wlS
oour Mhen Couurr-, Rcd l"aly y 20,
/ lUuup. und the other iAror. whom we know,
lui dont cnrn 10 Civ" names yrt. hr0e' into Mr.
Mhtii. ~ry', house ana made him give up ihf
combination Whii0 soy guyr IT the moro rHnd
~ h.rmiS" be- supposed t.Ht they o'un not gcl
in W tNout the tour keys. II" meyer dreamed
that iI" men lai the keys. l"l rem 'mh'i that
there WITS "a great mystery about rms. Ihr bans
folks i't reit,un h'iore they opened Nh" NNut
iu the morning tNut nothing could may" h'.n
-'Hl. n,ant tl'Y w're amazed To lnI that the
hursuis had got IN.
'Aunr TIE robrry L lson. who was I'm Now
loik nt thr time, logan To negotiate " ih tHn
hank Di'l ii's for the T., turn of tine securities.
lhry dd uut su~i".t hun "a first, hut inHIly
w,r'c,uNln'ol thM 10" must have had % hand
la A..fINIIIIt llltl