Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-07-20
The Northampton Bank nobbery.-.A
Piece Of Remarkable Teatimony.

Piece Of Remarkable Testimony.
We last week made brief note of the
fact that the trial of the Northampton,
Mass, bank robbers, on the charge of rob-
bling the bank, suddenly closed on the 18th
inst. by the refusal Of the defense TO put in
any evidence or make an argument. The
judge charged the jury on Thursday, and
verdict of guilty was returned. From the
correspondence Of the Boston Jonrnal
We take tho following account of the re-
markablo testimony Of the man Edison,
who turned against his conlederales, for
the reason, as is believed, that the robbers
refused to give him what he claimed to be
his share Of the plunder:--
"Tbe trial OF Scott and Dunlap, the sup
posed robbers of the Northampton Nation
al Bank in this town ON the 18th of Janua-
ny, 1876, by which operation the large sum
of Sl,000,O00 or Sl,250,00 in cash, bonds,
aud other securities was realized, has stir
red up this community as no other circunl-
stance has done since the Mill River flood
in 1874. The facts Of the robbery are al
ready pretty well knOwn-tho entering Of
cashier Whittlesey's house at midnight by
a gang of five masked men the binding of
himself and family and the tortures aud
threats by which the combinations Of the
bank locks were forced from him the sue
cesslul plumber OF the bank aud the escape
OF the robbers their subsequent capture
and the confession of their accUmpliCo, Ed
sou.
As was anticipated, the chief point of in
terest has been the testimony of Edison, he
bank-lOck expert, and the accomplish and
abeitor before the act OF the thieves who
actually committed the robbery. This man
is a curious psychological puzzle, aud
grows more unldlhOmable and mysterious
the more one seeks to sound him. In the
most natural and nOuchalant manner of
which it is possible to conceive, he gave ev-
idenco which, if produced by another per-
son, would have branded him with dis
grace compared To which that attaching to
Scott and Dunlap had appeared scarcely
worth mentioning. Passing over the de-
tails of his preliminary Efforts, which in
clude the examination and subsequent at
tempts at robbery of no less than 10 banks
in various parts of the country from Nan
tucket TO kentucky, ! come at once to the
history of his connection with the North
amptOn bank robbery, where his noblest
triumph was achieved.
Acting as trusted agent for Herring &
Co., safe manufacturers of York. and
being at the same time partner on an equal
footing in conspiracy with Scott, Dunlap
and Corners to rob any and all banks which
Edsou's expert skill might suggest as open
10 burglarous attacks, he came 10 the
Northampton bank in August, 1875, exam
ined the now doors which he had placed in
the vault on the previous month, found
that the keys worked hard, took them TO
New York to be altered, gave duplicates to
his accompliceS and returned the originals
to the bank officers. The robbery would
doubtless have been committed about this
time had not the bank changed its dials
and keys, a proceeding which put stop to
operations for the time being. In Novem.
Der Edison came again TO the bank, secured
the keys under pretense of filing them,
made an impression of them in wax which
Scott had given to him, and was again pre-
pared for action. His browning feat of au-
dacity was perpetrated upon Mr.. Warriu-
err, the President of the bank, with
whom he took tea at this time. 1t was. OF
| course, of great consequence 10 The burg
lars 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 possession
| of these secrets to the ieweSl number oil
| persons was one object OF Edson's visit.
| He found that Mr. Whittesey had all the
| combinations except that TO the inner vault
door. which was intrusted TO young clerk
and he therefore so strongly urged upon
| Mr.. Warmer the danger likely to be in
| Cured by intrusting mere boy with such
secret that Mr.. Warmer became quite
alarmed, aud on the following day told Ed
son that he had followed his suggestion
| changed the combination and given ii &c
| Mr.. Whittlesey. 1t can easily be imagined
| that Mr.. Edison returned TO New York in 6
state of great mental exhilaraton at hav-
| ing so successfully pulled the wool over
Mr.. WARMERS eyes. The bank was sOor
| after ICbhed, and Edison, the still unsus
pecled a2eut and trusted expert, was OF
hand again within "a hours to examine th'
work which had been rendered possible o
accomplishment only through his own pro.
found rascalty. Mr.. Edison must have
been lamentably destitute of humor if hi
failed TO take in at once the ludicrous sid
of his position. All this, and much more
he told to the jury, as free from shame al
he was from exultation, and in appearance,
as careless as he was in reality guarded
The wholesale villification which he heap
ed upon his own character greatly surprised
both defense and prosecution, though tn
latter must have been in some degree pre-
pared for it. To the defense, however,
came like bolt from a clear sky. The,
had apparently sheltered themselves unde
the belief that Edison would try to save a
much of his own character as possible-as
indeed, would be expected-a that theL
by showing up the blackness of his life t
the jury, they could materially weaken hi
| testimony"
As Edison was pdrticeps criD,inis in thi
action, the law requires some corroborativ
evidence of his statements, and this wa
fortunately furnished by Mrs. Whittlese
and Mrs. Page, who saw the burglars at th
cashiers house on the night of the robbery
a telegraph operator and hotel clerk q
Wilkesbarre, Pa, who supported Edison
statements about the robbers meeting Their
and sending certain dispatches; also b.
other people who saw them in the vicinit
just before the robbery. The defense too
numerous exceptions 10 the judges ruling
which will be considered by the full benc
at the September term in Greenfield.
The trial OF the robbers on the secon
charge, that of breaking and enterin
Cashier Whiltlesey's house, began on Nor
, day. The punishment for this oflense
F Imprisonment for life, in the discretion {
, the court.