The New York herald., 1878-10-28
THE WORK OF MASKED BURGLARS.
Handwriting the Janitor and His Wife
and Stealing at Leisure
Pocketing Thousands of Dollars
and Going Scot Free.
THE MANHATTAN SAVINGS NSTlTUTIOh'S LOSS

About hahpast nine O'Clock yesterday morning, as
lhrongs Of people were on tho street going 10 curly
bhurch, quite commotion was caused by partially
dressed man, with his arms handcuGed, running on
tho north OF Bleocker street the direction OF
Broadway. II the opinion OF those who Witnessed
this strange figure that he fugitive from justice.
He turned round tho corner Of broadway where the
Manhattan savings Bank Is located and under which,
In u basement, W. Kohlman Keeps q barber shop The
manaclcd man hastily descended the steps Of tho
barber shop, aud exclaimed In breathloss agitation
That robbers and murderers had assaied him. The
barber recognized tho man as Louis Werke, the
Ianitor OF the Manhattan Savings Bank. He was too
frightened anu agtated TO mako himself clearly un-
asrslood but Mr. Kohlman learned enough to bs con
vnced that Werkle had been In some manner tho
victim OF gross outrage When his agitation had
partially subsided tho jantor explained that men
wearing masks had entered his rooms. had placed
handouts himself and wife, and, under he threat
OF taking their lives II they Jailed TO comply with
thcir demands, mad possessed themselves OF
The keys Of tho bank and the combination key
Of the saie In order 10 verify this startling state
ment MI. Kohman hurried 10 tho sidewalk and
looked through the large plate glass windows OF tho
bank, which iace on Broadway. Ono glance satisfied
him that The jau,tor's story was not the result Of
about tin boxes with . portion OF their contents
scattered In all directions. Tho barber at once hur
RED 10 Police Headquarters and there informed In
spcctor Murray OF the occurrence. That official at
once consulted with Superintendent Wslng, tho re-
suit OF which was that the Superintendent, Acting
Sergeant Aeakim, Sergeant Young and Detective
Dunn hurried TO the bank. WerKls was taken before
these officials and TO them related the following
story
"Kcely. the night watcnman, raped At my door ut
Blk o'clock this morning TO let mo know that time
Tor to get up and take charge OF the bank live
The rear OF the house, the floor the bank and
Inc entrance 10 my place IL Bleecker street. re-
piled to the night watchman's summons and got up.
was In the act OF putting my clothes when heard
, noise in the sitting room. My vile, who
sicky, became frightened and she called
out 10 me 10 60 into the next bedroom,
where her mother sleeps. and 500 II anything was
wrong with tho old lady. With that several mon,
wearing masks, crowded into bedroom. When
my vile saw them she screamed aloud, but told her
70 Keep still or they would XIII u.s. They told II
wc kept quiet aud did not mako y noise that they
would not harm They then handcufsd mo and
my wiic. One Of the men, VINO was stout man ana
black mask. asked me tor the keys OF the
bank ! told him they were on the table,
Ho then asked mo tor the combination
key OF tho saic; l refused 10 gvc
up, when they all threatened TO kill me told
thom that the combination key would DO OF 10
them, as they would not know how to turn tho knob
Ons Of the mon replied that they know how to turn
lhe knob woll enough, ana they again threatened 10
kill me II did give the key. ! at last
rendered II, when nve OF them wont down stairs,
while two remained with US TO prevent US leaving tho
house or raising an alarm don't Know what they
did IN the bank The two men stood guard ovor US
until twenty minutes past nine, and when they left
ran down to the barber shop with my hands mana
sled told what had happened" /"
Wcrkle ~ u German. He talks and looks like a man
ot isenie UNDERSTANDING. Superintenosnt Walling
several times If he would conhne himself
10 inc same statement eacn time. The jaDor contra
when his attentou was drawn this TACT by Su-
perintendent, no pleaded that nc frightened
and sgtatea tnat he hardly knew what no was
saying.
In The meantime his and uothcr-iu.law were
sought ou. They were found by Omcer kennedy,
0l Fifteenth precinct, IN their bedrooms,
dead than alive with terror. the VILE was securely
80 icebie us TO be hardly ablo TO move about, had
not been intsriersd with by tue ruilins Mrs.
her version OF the approach and exploits oil tho
burglars She said that Two masked men hsd entered
her room; she thought tnst they bad gained admit
10 premises from the root OF the ST. Charles
HOTEL aud thencc through n seattle which leads 20
the building In whoh she resides. She did not see
any the faces OF the account or tho masks,
could give description vi them boy
Shat they were we'll drcsscd and seemed ~ 10 young
men.
DIAGRAM THE BUILDING.
The building IN whch tho bauk Is located Is the
northeast corner OF Blocker street and broadway.
II Is i've story brick structure, aud most of tho
upper part is aud has been Tor long time
pied. Tho entrance 10 the parts whion rented
L. ON tho Bleocker strcct side und only lew icct
above the tho bank which was catered Dy the
burglars The Bleeckcr street sido, az stated, is
almost entirely takeu up with windows, and
. perfectiy open view OF The interior of
tho bank is thus presented. The man entrance
ls on broadway ana Is guarded by heavily grated
swinging doors the outsue whicn were Intended
10 BE- u guard to the inner vr inmcdiate doors 10
Lhe bank. The tantor's apartments are on tho tbrd
door, aud woro not easily accessible except 10 those
perfectly famiiiar with the premises. The kitchen ~
tn tho basement underneath bunk, aud ndj ning
which old documents aud looks were kept. From
Sins apartment passage way eaus 10 tho upper part
Di the main building but an entrance 10 Tho bank
proper could not be effected by II. rhut could onIy
be cone from tue outside. 1he following diagram
shows inc princpai points oi operatoa:--