The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-11-06

THE little unpleasantness that occurred at
the Manhattan Savings Bank in New York
city on last Sunday morning is so mysterious
that 1t is likely to be a theme for extended
comment for some time to come. There is
nothing like ii ia the whole history OF bur
glsry in the United States, and all other
countries may be included. II has COM
pletely dumbfounded bankers, merchants
and detectives. As people near at hand
regain their wits, attempts are made to ex-
plain the transaction, but doubts increase
with explanations and theories, until sus-
Iicions set in, and are daily gaining strength.
Here is an institution possessed of millions
of valuables all IN safe, burglar
proof 1.-The Manhattan institution"
says the Brooklyn Eagle, was not merely a
bank. 1t was depository for the safe
keeping of money, jewelry and yalusbles
The public is at present somewhat distrust-
full OF enterprises, and institutions of de-
posit have for years been growing in favor.
These institutions have been patronized
solely on the supposition that they are i'm
pregnable from outside. To sustain this i'm
preston the public has been invited to ex-
anime the massive vaults, made of concrete
stone and STEEL the triple doors of steel and
all the ponderous machinery of bolts and
locks, which would be simply impossible Of
penetration by main force. But the strong
est fortress is weak enough when traitors
within are ready to assist the enemy with
out, and the most massive barriers of
vault are thin as paper when the keys fall
into the hands of burglars. The public had
been assured of the strength Of the vault of
the Manhattan Savings institution; the Wig
'ilence and care taken by the officers to keep
the keys In the hands Of faithful servants
the public took for granted. The system of
construction was admirable; the system of
guarding the means of ingress to the vault
was fatally faulty. Had depositors known
Just how weak barrier really lay between
their property and the burglars the private
boxes of the institution would have been
'emptied within two hours"
All at once the idea strikes the managers
that TO have the books taken out of the safe
early in the morning and laid upon desks
and tables for the clerks when they come to
work will save time and trouble, and forth.
with the grand and vital secret of the COM
bination of the lock of the safe is made
known TO the janitor, who becomes TO all
intents and purposes the custodian of prop
erty worth millions of dollars. Such a
thing was never heard of before, and the
reason for imparting the secret of the lock
at once enlarges the area of suspicious, and
the more business men think about the rob-
berry, the more positive become their convic-
tons that behind the affair there is some
thing stupendously rotten. II is now doubted
if the securities catalogued for public
inspection were IN the bank at all, and it
Is possible that the boxes we read about
were empty when the masked burglars en-
tered the bank. They must have known
that the janitor possessed the vital secret of
the combination; IL so, how did they obtain
the information? Strange as il may appear,
IL is stated that box containing property
valued at $50, 900 and belonging to the presi.
dent of the bank was not touched, though
in full view. The mystery is as profound as
ever, and ali explanations fail to satisiyany-
one. The public, as might be expected,
take deep interest in this affair. II looks
as though a safe is not a safe place in which
to place vsluables, and that eastern savings
banks are remarkably unfortunate institu-
tions.