The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-27
A CHAMPION RASCAL.
Extraordinary Confession OF a Knavish
Bank-Look Expert.

National Bank III this town on the 10th
of January, 1876, by which operation
the large sum of 81, 1000, 00O or 81, $780,
900 in cash, bonds, and other securities
was realized, has stirred up this COM
munity as no other circumstance has
done since the Mill river flood in 1874.
The facts of the robbery are already
pretty well known-the entering of CASH
Ter Whittlesey's house ut midnight by
gang of five masked men the binding OF
himself and family and the fortunes 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-
complete, Edison.
AS was anticipated, the chief point of
interest has been the testimony of Edison,
the bank-lock expert, and the accomplice
and abettor before the act of the thieves
who actually committed the robbery.
This man is a curious psychological
puzzle, and grows more unfathomable
and mysterious the more one seeks to
sound him. In the most natural and
nonchalant manner of which it is pos
sible to conceive, he gave evidence which,
if produced by another person, would
have branded him with disgrace COM
pared to which that attaching to Scott
and Dunlap had appeared scarcely worth
mentioning. No report of this trial
which l have yet seen has half exposed
the singularity of Edson's confession. l
say confession" advisedly, for such it
was though it served its intended pur-
pose of damaging Dunlap and Scott, it
also and in still greater degree reflected
upon the narrator himself, so that at the
close of his testimony the audience was
pretty equally divided into two parties
the one holding that Edison was a
worthy object of philanthrophic interest,
in that he had found out the truth OF the
aphorism that "an honest confession is
good for the SOUL" and had acted ac-
cordingly, the other maintaining that no
man in his senses would ever dream of
besmirching himself unless he had some
deep and sinister motive to subserve,
and that thus he was either a lunatic or
had still wickeder schemes in prospect.
Passing over the details of his pre-
liminary efforts, which include the eX-
animation and subsequent attempts at
robbery of no less than ten banks in
various parts of the country from Nan
tucket to Kentucky, l come ut once to
the history of his connection with the
Northampton bank robbery, where his
noblest triumph WAS achieved.
Acting as trusted agent for Herring ~
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 burglarlous
attacks, he came to the Northampton
Bank i'll August, 1870, examined the
new doors which he had placed III 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 origi
nails to the bank officers. The robbery
would doubtless have been committed at
about this time had not the bank changed
its dials and keys, proceeding which
put a stop to operations for the time be-
ing. In November Edison came again to
the bank, secured the keys under pre-
tense of filing them, made an impress
sion OF them in wax which Scott had
given to him, and was again prepared
for action. His browning feat of audaci-
ty was perpetrated upon Mr.. Warmer,
the Vice President of the bank, with
whom he took tea at this time. 1t was,
of course, of great consequence to the
burglars that they should be obliged to
invade as few houses as possible in their
attempts to gain knowledge of the COM
binations necessary to unlock the vari-
q Lo,,1x a,,I t<
down the possession of these secrets to
the fewest number of persons was one
object of Edson's visit. He found that
Mr.. Whittlesey 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, and on the following day
told Edison that he had followed his
suggestion, changed the combination,
and given it to Mr.. Whittlesey. 1t can
easily be imagined that Mr.. Edison re-
turned to New York in state of great
mental exhilaration at having SO success
fully pulled the wool over Mr.. Warri-
ner's eyes. The bank was soon after
ward robbed, and Edison, the still I'M
suspected agent and trusted expert, was
on hand again within twenty-four hours
to examine the work which had been
rendered possible of accomplishment
only through his own profound rascality.
Mr.. Edison must have been lamentably
destitute of humor if he failed TO take III
at once the ridiculous side of his posi-.
ton. All this, and much more, he told
to the jury, as free from shame as he was
from exultation, and in appearance az
careless as he was in reality guarded
The wholesale utilization which he
heaped upon his own character equally
surprised both defense and prosecution
though tho latter must have been IL
some degree prepared for it. To the
defense, however, it came like a bolt
from clear sky. They had apparently
sheltered themselves under the belle
that Edison would try to save as much o
mis- own character as possiLle-as, In
deed, would be expected-and that then
by showing up the blackness of his lif'
to the jury, they could MATERIAL!
weaken his testimony AS Edison Wa