The New York herald., 1878-10-30
DETECTIVES in A FOG
No Clew to the Manhattan Saw
y ings Bank Burglars y
A F L S E A L A r M
Stories Of Past Burglaries Related by a
Veteran Cracksman.

Veteran Cracksman.
Like . pack Of hounds which, starting cut upon .
fresh scent and coming to q running stream, are
thrown ont and lett TO circulate hopelessy in Circle
the detectives reluctantly th clews
OF Monday led TO nothing, ana that In all probability
the robbers Of the Manhattan Bank will not be dis
covered unless OF their number should bstray the
secret Very little done By the police yesterday
officers and men were thoroughly ta.igusd by the
work OF Sunday night and Monday. superintendent
waing did not appear at the Central once until late
In Ihe afternoon and II surmIsed that his absence
had some connection win tho This notion was
dispelled by the Superintendent on his return.
ASornsR cAUsn
Detective Dorsey created = decided sensation about
noon whom ne arrested q well dressed, powerfully
built man q the corner Of Fourteenth street and
sixth avenue and conveyed him 10 Headquarters
As the detective was known to be At WORK on the
burglary case II was supposed that the man was one
81 tho gang that robbed the bank. Onlcsrs who saw
HIM brought Into suporintsndsns wallipg's room
declared thar he had inc air OF burglar for these
experts In criminal physognomy profess tho ABILITY
TO distinguish the class to which outlaw belongs
AiAs times out or ten BY his Appearances Al any
rate, they right this instance, as the fellow
turned be notorious hotel burglar and sneak
th,ef named James Robert alias Curtin, alias Fsrd
nand. Aiias Cunning CHAM. Hs was not arrested Tor
somplicisy in the bank robbery. however, bat ON
Other grounds He lately escaped from jail In CHI
cago where he had been committed In default Of
SIS, 900 ball for diamond robbery. Superintendent
Mailins received dsspatohss annssuctng his escape
from the jail 1t that place and placed Detective
Dorsey the case. Tho prisoner was brought TO
sourt and remanded TO tho custody OF the superin-
tondent to await Instructions from Chicago.
ta4t gsMAa4iar At BANK itt. Ttsf8' 8t
In and about the bank there httlc 10 mark that
Il had been the scene OF stupendous robbery. But
few persons presented their passbooks registration,
ana almost the only callers were persons who had
boxes OF papers deposit and who desired to be
assured their safety the officers Of the institution
expressed themselves agreeably surprised at sne
little annoyance 20 which they had been subjected BY
dspos,tors, ana attributed the fact that had
called the full and authentic statements Of the
eary ana the condition Of the bank pubsnsd in
Che newspapers. meeting OF directors was held In
the forenoon, but no reward Offered for the appre-
hensou Of the criinas and 30 fur could be learned
nothing Of any consequences whatever done
During the day the president and other ofhoors had
conferences with The police. Inspector Murray
turned up the aftsrnosn looking and ala
sosragsd, and shook his head negatively when ques-
tioned as 20 the probability OF arrests being made
Seou. WSas
There are usual almost many thsories or the
sbou Of the thieves tnsre are detectives on Inc
t0rce Some OF snem II not particularly proba.
BILE. at least very curious and Interesting. Ono saga
coos detective broachss Tho theory that the stabbDg
sf The schems TO rob tho bank and done Tor the
purpose Of exnapsting tho pslice ana dstsotves by
ssntIon from tho scens Of tho bargiar' operations
vm ~ .s.4s,as... TARDY xovEMExz. s
bsrs ana amounts OF the stolen SECURITIES are 10 be
printed by bank ofictas distributed through.
ins ,nsm against nssosa.ns any Of The bonds il Is
thought that this action 10 rather tardy and that
early Monday morning. some o. the missing bonds
may already have been disposed OF in other cities
The bang ofhciais state ina. all Drsctor Augustus
Scheli nAa dspesit In shs bank vault = lev
papers OF NO value 70 anybody but himself. These
were In tin box with the 81 600 In bonds belonging
Grosswsl. s#seaa a. 'lraset syrs sstsT Has
NOTABLE BANK BuRoLARIEs-A VETERAN
BURGLARS REMIxIsoxNoEs or WORK DONE
IN THE PAsT-LIsT OF THE MOST REMARK
= ABLE BANK RoBBERIEs DURING TIE PAST
TwxNTy-rivE YEARS.
'Oh yes, Il was very pretty, clean piece Of bus-
ness, /" said one OF tho no,eo bang burglars In
sno country TO a HERALD reporter yesterday. .rhat
Manhattan job bears the marks OF mob's style o,
work who have beon doing all tho banks throughout
the country, and old Police Headquarters men know
style OF business and all their surround
,ngs. l told you last night, when ws were
takng about This affair inat i could, inside OF two
hours, show you the very men enjoying themselves
after tnslr nights hard work. Whom the police ac-
tually want thsm there will be NO trouble ind
ine them. The most OF lhe work during the last
twcnty years has been done by more than two or
throo d,nerent mobs-not more than three, anyhow
and probably Two or three Of gang
belonged 10 the others, some of thcm. for
their mechanical kDowledss, otncrs for their
influence with the authorities TO settle go
betwsens others Tor ability through their nnan-
cia standing Wall street TO get rid OF the stu
others tor their knowledge Of how buck. gag, tic
and intmidate people, and, II necessary, 10 torture
them into telling the secrets wanted. But remember
they never take life In any Of their expeditions
or insult . female unless absolutely driven
to II. don't remember but one case OF
death rcsuiung from me op srasions Of the mob
and that was an old cashier, who died from shock
nfIer the bank had been broken. could talk 10 you
By the hour OF famous cracksmen and the Jobs they
have put up and successfully carried through I.s
mistake ~ think tha. who ths kind OF work
are ordinary In any sense OF the term Some OF
Them are skilled mecnanies; others are college
graduatcs II may be necessary 10 have an abls
ehsnist doctor OF lawyer among the party IN order
lion 70 IT'S accomplishment, ........ NJ,
ONE or rfR CLOTH. N
~ know one man that wss eausalsd for the pulpit
.who u ~ well formed ninety out Of
you would meet the best circles Of society II he
Should come In here nov you would probably take
him i0r priest. Hs Knowledge cnemislry, mscuan-
les, aud particularly OF the nature OF explosives In
blowing open safe 10 really marvellous. The
shs mob would have consult MIN bofors any great
undertaking, on account OF his superior inseiigsncs
He has invented implements Tor tae forcing safes
ana strong boxes have surprised the SAFE
makers themselves You can see Tor yourssi tns IN
genuity ~ wsuid require 10 open safe vault
hours which taKen months 10 construct. The idea
dths mob - that anything man can construcs maa
can pieces. saeN sNNe. Mn .eWE MN
"You were asking mo a few moments ago about IA
nous jvos pal on banks The hrst Of any note wasn
Fniladciphfa MIND yau, had nothing with IL
~ was bank for ssvingA and tns amount wAs I'm
mcnss for those times can't remember exactly
how much, but they split mp among themselves what
amounsed 90 $75, 900 apiece, and one Of them, VINO
killed aiturward In salooa She
corner oi broadway aud Houston street. returned,
think, $f6v, 600 uuder an understanding from the