Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-11-06
THE LARGEST ROBBERY ON
RECORD.

~
A New York dispatch of Oct. 9th
gives the following particulars of the
greatest robbery ever committed: Be-
tween 6 and 9 o'clock this morning
masked burglars entered the Manhat-
tan Savings bank building, corner of
Broadway and Blocker streets, and
after Handwriting the janitor, made
him, under threats Of instant death, re-
veal the combination of the safe to
them and deliver up the keys to them.
They Tifled the vault of presumably a
large amount of money, as twenty tin
boxes known TO have contained bills
were found on the floor quite empty.
The building is a six story one, the bank
occupying the ground floor with en-
frances on both Broadway and Blocker
streets. Wendell Kohlman keeps a
barber-shop in the basement under the
bank and the janitor lives on the second
floor. The barber opened his shop 50
minutes past o'clock. He says there
was nothing unusual in the bank at
that time. At twenty minutes past
nine o'clock he was startled by the ap-
pearance at the head of the basement
stairs of Janitor Louis Wertel, white
with fright and excitement, with his
hands handcutfed tightly and the key
of the bank clutched between them.
He was only half dressed and gasped:
Thieves, robbers, come and see"
The barber accompanied him
in the bank and saw the door of the
great vault wide open and the floor
Uttered with tin boxes all emptied of
their contents. Burglars tools were
scattered IN every direction. The
barber notified the police, and Capt.
Walling, inspector Dick, Capt. Byrnes
and Capt. Kiely 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.
Daniel keely, night Waterman, said he
left his post at 6 o'clock A. NJ, and
aroused the anitor as was his custom,
and left the building, locking the hall
door after him, left the corner at 6:1O
A. NJ, and then every thing was all right
and quiet. A photographer who does
business on an upper floor, says that at
6 o'clock he arrived at the building and
found the entrance open and wondered
at the carelessness Of the Waterman.
He passed up stairs and met nobody
and heard no noise or disturbance.
The janitor, Wertel, created an unfavor-
able impression on cross examination
He said that at 10 minutes past while
he was dressing seven masked men
suddenly rushed into his room and
hand-cuffed himself and his wife and
demanded the keys of the bank. His
mother-in-iaw, an old lady who was
present, screamed when the burglars
drew pistols and threatened instant
death to any who made 81 noise. They
then carried hln into an adjoining
room and forced him to deliver up the
keys of the secret doors. With
these four of the party went down stairs
leaving three on guard in his room.
Three hours passed and Wertel heard
a clock strike nine. Just then one of
the men from down stairs returned and
after whispered consultation they all
left. After he regained his courage he
went down to the barber shop as DIES
cribed. . Wertel admitted to Supt. Wal
ling that he had given the combination
of unlocking the doors of the vault to
the robbers. He gave it under threats
of instant death, but he failed to state
how he got possession of the combina-
ton. His wife corroborated his story
of attack but said there were
only five men in the party. Mr..
Lent, Broadway merchant,
young man busting the shelves and
desks inside. 1t is supposed that this
was one of the burglars endeavoring to
make things look as natural as possible.
Officers Van Norton and Tully said they
looked through the bank windows be-
tween six and seven o'clock and all was
quiet. The vault can be seen from the
street. Inside the main doors of the
safe vault the burglars found a space
with shelves, upon which were tin boxes
filled with jewellery, silverWare and
valuable papers. These they emptied.
They overlooked one box On the back
shelf. containing $4,000 dollars in val
uables, the property Of Edward Schell,
president Of the bank. The open space
of six feet between the main door of the
vault and the doors of the inner safe
gave the burglars ample space to work
in. They pried open one compartment
obtaining SILL 900 in small bills. They
next forced the bottom drawer but got
nothing Of value therefrom. The wedges
were found in the upper compartments
which they were trying to force when
they were evidently disturbed. A dozen
drills, a sledge hammer. three sectional
jimmies aud other tools were found
scattered around. The officers Of
the bank admit that the JAM.
tor possessed the combination
to the bank. It 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; G. f. Alvord,
secretary. 81 ar4agT# .su9 ti1a
The following is the bank officers
statement: The Manhattan Savings
Institution was, on the morning of Sun
day, the 9th, Of Oct, 1873, robbed of
securities to the amount of $2757, 200,
of which i$2,5O5,700 were registered in
the name of the institution and not ne