Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-11-01
GIGANTIC ROBBERY.
The Manhattan Savings Bank of New
York Entered by Masked Burglars in
Broad Daylight and Nearly $4,000, 900
in Cash and Securities Taken.

York Entered by Masked Burglars in
Broad Daylight and Nearly $4,000, 900
in Cash and Securities Taken.
The following dispatch gives the out
lines of one of the most extensive and
daring robberies ever perpetrated in
this country, wherein seven masked
men enter a bank at the corner of two
of the principal thoroughfares in New
York city, by daylight, at time when
the patrolmen were passing and repass-
ing constantly, and at every round peer
ing in at the windows of the bank, and
for three hours pursue their vocation,
gathering together an immense sum in
money and bonds, and finally walk off
with the plumber through the open
streets, not only without molestation,
but without leaving single clue which
may lead to their detection. 1t is one
of the most skillfully planned and exc
cuted crimes on record:
New YORK, Oct 27.-Between six
and nine o'clock this morning masked
burglars entered the Manhattan Saw
ings Bank building on the corner of
Broadway and Blocker streets, and
after Handwriting the janitor, made him
under threats of instant death, reveal
the combination of the safe to them
and deliver up the keys of the bank
They rifled the bank of a presumably
large sum OF money, as twenty tin box
es known to have contained bills were
found on the floor quite empty. The
building is a six story one the bank oc-
cupying the ground floor with entrances
on both Broadway and Bleecker streets.
Wendell Kohlman keeps a barber shop
in the basement under the bank, and
the janitor lives on the second floor.
The barbar opened his shop at thirty
five minutes past six o'clock. He says
there was nothing unusual in the bank
at that time. At twenty minutes past
nine he was startled by the appearance,
at the head of the basement stairs, of
the janitor, Louis Wertel, white with
fright and excitement, with his hands
handcuffed tightly and the key of the
bank clutched between them. He was
robbers come and see!'' The barber
accompanied him into the bank and saw
the doors of the great vault wide open,
and the floor Uttered with tin boxes all
emptied of their contents. Burglars
tools were scattered in every di-
rection. The barber notified the police
and Superintendent Walling, Inspector
Dix, Captain -Byrnes and Captain
keely, were soon on the scene The
doors, windows and all means of access
from without were found intact, and it
was evident the thieves had entered by
means of keys. Dan Keely, the night
Waterman, said he left his post at six
o'clock A. NJ, and aroused the janitor
as was his custom, and left the building,
locking the hall door after him. The
vault can be seen from the street. In
side the main doors of the safe vault
the burglars found a space with shelves
upon which were the tin boxes. filled
with jewelry, silver ware, and valuable
papers. These they emptied In their
hurry they overlooked one box, on
back shelf, containing $4,000 in valu-
ables, the property of Edward Schell,
President of the bank. An open space
of six feet between the main door of
the vault and doors of the inner safe,
gave the burglars ample space to work
in. They pried open one compartment
containing $ll 900 in small bills. They
next forced the bottom drawer, but got
nothing Of value therefrom Wedges
were found in the upper compartments
which they were trying to force when
they were evidently disturbed. A doz-
en- drills and sledge hammers, three sec
tional jimmies, and other tools, were
found scattered around. The officers
Of the bank admit that the janitor pos
sessed the combination to the vault. 1t
was given him months ago so that he
could take out the books and make
ready for business The officers of the
bank are Edward Schell, President and
Treasurer; c. F. Alvord, Secretary.
The following is the bank officers
statement: The Manhattan Savings In
stitution was, on the morning of Sun
day, the 9th Of October, 1873, robbed
Of securities to the amount of $2.757,
700, of which $2,502, 700 were registered
in the name of the institution and are
not negotiable, $179,000 are made pay
able to it, and $4,000 are in coupon
bonds, and 81 ,000in cash. For the pur-
pose of preventing loss to depositors, it
is deemed advisable that no payment be
made without sixty days notice, as pro-
vided by the bylaws of the institution