The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-10-31
GREAT BANK ROBBERY.
The L.argest slenI ON Record.

The Target steal On Record.
NEW YORK. Oct. 30.-BetweeB
six and nine o'clock Sunday morn
ing burglars entered the Manhat-
tan Savings Bank building, corn
er of Broad way and BECKER
streets, handcuned the janitor
and made him, under threat Of
instant death, reveal the comb
nation Of the safe and deliver up
the KEYS OF the bank. They then
riliel the vault Of an amount Of.
money, presumed TO be large, as
twenty tin boxes, known TO have
contained bills. were found on the
floor empty. The building IS a.
siX-stOry one, the bank occupying
the ground floor, with entrances
on both Broadway and Becker
street. Wendell hoffman keeps /
a barber shop in the basement
under the bank, and the janitOr
! lives on the second floor. The
barber opened his shop. and look
ing at a clock in the bank Office
saw il was three minutes past 9
He says there was nothing unusu-
al in the bank at that time. At
two minutes past nine O'Clock he
was startled by the appearance
at the head Of the basement stairs
of Janitor Louis Wertel, white |
with fright and excitement, with
Ibis hands handcuiled tightly, and
the key of the bank clutched be-
tween them. He was only half
dressed, and gasped: Thieves,
robbers, come and see" The
barber accompanied him into the
bank, and saw the doors OF the
great vault wide open and tle
floor lit cred with empty lin box
es, AMI Durgias tool, scattered
in every direction. Tie barber
notified the police, VIII were soon
on the scene. Doors, w.HLo" !
and all means OfaCce,5 from with.
out, we're found intact, and 1t was
evident that the thieves had en-
tered By means OF keys, Dan
Kelley, the night Waterman, said
that he left his post at 6 o'clock
Il. M, and aroused the janitor, as
was his custom. and left the build
ing, locking the back door after
him. II is certain that be left
the corner st G:iG a. m. and then
everything was right and quiet.
The jamtor, Werte!, created an
uniavorabie impression on cross
examination. He sand that while
he was dressing himself seven
masked men suddenly rushed in
to the room, hdndcufed himselfi
and wife and demanded the keys
OF the bank, His mother in.Iaw,
an old lady who was present,
screamed, whenthe burglars drew
a pistol and threatened instant
death to any one who made a
noise. They then carried him in
to an adjoining room and forged
him to deliver up the keys Of the
street doors. With these four Of
the party went down stairs, leay
ing three on guard in his room
Three hours passed and Wertei
heard the clock strike 9. when
one OF the men from down stairs
returned. and after a whispered
conversation all left Alier he
recaincd courage, he went to the
barber shop as described. WerteI
admitted 10 Superintendent Wal
ling that he had given the com
bination for unlocking the doors
Of the vault to the robbers. lie
gave it under threats Of instant
death, bat he failed to state how
he got possession Of the combina
ton. His wife cOrrobOrated his
story Of the attack, but said there
were only five men in the party.
Mr., Lent, a Broadway merchant
passed the bank soon after "a. m,
and saw a saw a young man dust
ing shelves and desks inside. Ii
is supposed that this was one Of
the burglars endeavoring to make
things look as natural as possible.
Officers Van Norton and FULLY
said they looked through the
bank window between 6 and 7
o'clock, and all was quiet. Inside
the main door of the safe vault
the burglars found shelves upon
which were tin boxes filled with
Iiewelry, silvcrware and valuable
papers. These they emptied.
They overlooked a box contain
ing IS 700 in valuable property
of Mr.. Edward Scheli, PRESIDENT
Of the bank, and brother OF Au
gustus Schell.
The officers Of the bank admit
that the ianitor possessed the
combination. They formally state
that the loss consists Of securities
to the amount Of $2,75S, 700, Of
which 2,50G, 100 were registered
in the name OF the institution,
ana are not negotiable, $lGS,O00
are made payable to it, $4,000
nuSrsn $780,. rsnLs and $1,000