The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-12-26
A Mystery of Crime.

The complete details of the recent
robbery OF the Manhattan Savings Bank
in New York, says contemporary, show
it to have been one OF the most skilfully-
planned operations that has ever been
known in the records of crime. 1t may
be observed at the same time that there
has never before been crime committed
that was 80 absolutely free from the
chances of detection, either in its perpe-
tration or after it's commission. The
seven masked burglars were az secure as
If they we're robbing a lonely farm.
house, with not another house for miles
around, instead of bank in the heart OF
great city, in broad daylight, with
people constantly passing and repassing,
who could look directly into the room
where the thieves were at work. 1t is
one OF the most startling curiosities of
crime that these seven men could enter
this bank in daylight unperceived, over
power family and obtain the keys ard
combustion that guarded millions OF
dollars in cash, bonds and securities,
enter the bank aud spend an hour or two,
in plain sight from two streets, packing
up its assets, and then leave it through
an exit into one Of the most frequented
streets OF the city, and escape with their
booty without attracting the attention of
any one, although several patrolmen
passed and, repassed the building and
ked'in, AS was their wont, to observe
time by the clock on the larger vault
which the thieves at that very time were
wrecking. The circumstances of that
bold robbery argue either an incompre-
bensible lack of observation upon the part
of those whose duty it is to have their
eyes open, or the possession upon the
part OF the thieves of invisible powers
not hitherto known outside of the
arabian Nights" Had a writer oi
fiction invented a similar situation for
his villains, the book reviewers would
have accused him of inconsistency and
want Of fidelity to nature.
1t adds to the despair of this situation
that the only danger to whic the thieves
exposed themselves WAS in the commits
sion of the act. When once they had
escaped and concealed their plumber
theygwere secure. The very nature of
the property which they stole rendered |
them free from any liability of arrest.
The Manhattan Savings Bank cannot
afford to prosecute them if thereby it is
to lose three and half millions of dol
lars. 1t does not alter the situation that
The bulk OF the assets consists OF bonds
The thieves cannot negotiate. The bank
needs them, and must have them for
and private depositors are in
,he same fix. The thieves were wise
enough to steal sufficient to save them
selves from the penitentiary. They will
% at some little trouble to answer letters
rom the bank and depositors, in fixing
The details OF the return of the property |
aud the amount of commission thew ave |
10 receive Tor their willingness to return |
a certain portion of it, which Is Of no |
value to them. However deplorahe all |
this may be from the moral point Of
view, it is a case of hard necessity and
involves the salvation of the bank. A
there Is any responsibility for this, it
must be fastened upon the benefcient
tendencies of modern civilization which
have brought us to that standard of
moral ethics where we can punish a
man who steals dollar out of another's
pocket or q loaf OF bread cut OF window,
but cannot punish man whose theft
involves millions. The magnitude OF the
rhine oversweeps the limits of the law
md successfully detes. the processes of
he courts. The mills of justice grind
he petty rogue exceedingly fine, but the
olossal rogue clogs the wheels with his
uge load of plumber. 1t is not impossi-
lie as civilization progresses that we may
each that point where person dissatis-'
ed with the management Of a bank may
teal the assets and open a new bank
nth them over the way. The only con-
ition of success is magnitude.