Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-25
A Bold Bank Robbery.

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Last Friday night, July 6, the Reese
vile National Bank was entered by bur-
glars, and the safe blown open and robbed
| of all its contents. The bank has no
night watch, but directly across the road
is the Eagle Iron office and works of the
Ausable Horse Nail company, where
two night watches are always kept on
duty, to-wit: Henry Duval at the office
and William Ames about the works.
Mr. John Collins, for many years in the
employ Of the company, has a sleeping
room on the second hoor,of the Office,
where he could be called by either night
watch at moments notice. The stairs
to his room are approached by the same
hall that leads into the office. To carry
out the designs successfully it was neces-
sary for the burglars to secure silence
and confine all three Of these men. This
they did in a manner cunningly planned
and skillfully executed We will let the
men tell the story.
DUvAL's STATEMENT
Henry Duval is powerful man, weigh
ing over two hundred pounds, we should
Judge, and SO years Of age. He is ac-
customed to danger, having served
bravely for four years in the war for the
rebellion, entering with the Nth regi-
ment, and being several times wounded.
With an even chance, he would be a
match for two or three ordinary burglars
But he was taken completely by sur
prise. He states in substance as follows:
~ am night watch at the office of the
Horse Nail company, and have been for
four years; [ keep q light burning in the
office, and employ my time sorting nails
Once every hour lock the office on the
outside and inspect the premises, going
up the street past the Ausable house to
Pleasant street, and return; sometimes
[ am out twenty minutes; made my
round at II o'clock last Friday night,
and when | returned it night have been
Is or 20 minutes after -; unlocked the
door opening into the office hall and saw
no one; turned and locked the door on
the inside, and that instant three mask
ed burglars, who had probably entered
with false key during my absence, and
were hid in the office, advanced toward
me, with their pistols pointed at my
head, and in low tone said: If you
open your head we will blow your brains
out / screamed once as loud as /
could, and fired off a pistol which I al
ways carried in my pocket; my object
was to awaken Collins; the men then
seized me, threw me violently to the
| floor and choked me, and thrust a pocket
handkerchief in my mouth, blindfolded
me, and fastened my hands behind me
with pair of iron handouts; heard at
the same time another gang of men
rush up stairs, burst in the door to Col
| Inns room, and heard Collins scream
| they led me up stairs in Collins room,
took off my boots, set me in an office
chair, fastened my feet to the floor with
screws and straps, put rope through
the shackles on my hands, which were
fastened behind me, and tied the rope
to the lower rounds Of the chair behind
while they were fastening me and Col
Inns, heard them come up stairs with
Ames; they walked very lightly; did
not sound like boots, and they did not
| talk much; when all were tied they
called on me for the key to the bank
told them / had not got it; they handl-
ed me roughly and | told them the key
was below in the office; they all then
went away but one, who stood guard
and kept very still; in a short time [
heard the first explosion at the bank,
and before o'clock heard five other
explosions; soon after 3 o'clock the
guard left, and we heard no more noise
outside till the o'clock stage for Port
Kent went by, when Collins and hal
looed, bat did not make him hear; a
little while after that we got loose; Col
Inns was the first to get on his feet; he
helped Ames to get loose, and then they
loosed me; the first thing did was to
go to the bank; found the outside door
| locked and the key in the lock; my
shackles were still on; turned my back
| to the door, and in that way reached the
key with my hand and unlocked it; the
bank was so full of blue smoke that |
could hardly see; it had sickish smell;
did not smell like powder; found the safe
blown open and everything gone from
it; when [ returned they cut off my
shackles with cold chisel"
COLLINS STATEMENT.
"Was asleep in my room; the first
thing I heard was the report of revo-
yer and scream from Duval; immedi-
ateiy after three men came rushing up
stairs, burst open my door, and seized
me in bed; I screamed once; they told
me to keep still, and threatened my life
if [ did not; they were masked and all
presented revolvers; they tied my hands
and blindfolded me while in bed; they
then had me get up, when they drew on
my pants, seated me in an Office chair,
strapped my feet to the floor, strapped
my hands together behind and fastened
them to the lower round of the chair;
while they were doing this, heard them
lead Duval up, and Ames little later
One of the men remained in the room
keeping guard while the bank was being
robbed; he would come around occa-
sionally and feel of our hands, but kept
very still; heard sly explosions, and
when the stage went by shouted; short
ly after, managed to lie down on the
floor and reach to Ames, christening the
straps on his feet with my teeth; we
then unfastened each other, and | rushed
out and notified Baber and Cleaves."
Cleaves is the cashier.
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