The sun., 1879-06-22

Randolph Martin was ono OF the directors OF
this Insurance company. and Edgar e: Holly.
an Intimate friend from bOyhood OF Mr.. Martin.
was the surveyor and general manager. In
Nav. 1868 Mr.. Holly became convinced that an
attempt to rob the bank wns niedltated. His
suspicious were first aroused by tue discovery
one morning OF wRX about the keyhoc of the
lock to the front door OF the basement room. 1t
was prepared WAX. such as ie used 10y lock-
smiths aud burglars TO take an impress
sion OF locks by which to nt keys. A
on this front basement door deranged. lie
was satisfied on examination that this WIS
the result of an attempt 10 force back the bolt 10y
n badly fitted key, He had n bar fastening put
upnn the front door. and tho side door from
Fulton street. after new and complicated lock
had been put on Iwas used to open and close
the office. These suspicious circumstances
were immediately communicated % the Presi-
dent of the bank, Mr. Martin, but apparenliy
saw suspected persons hanging around the
neighbornood OF tho bank. and became 40
thoroughly convinced that AN attempt on IL was
being planned. thHt he repeatedly warned MIR.
Martin, who laughed m Mr. liolly's fears. and
glnr proof. Mr.. Holly'e zeal WAS not disintnrrst-
ed. becnuse about 5000 900 OF the securities ofthe
Globe Insurance. Company were In the TANK
vault. Soma tune in the early spring of 1869. At
one ot Holly's frequent interviews with the Pres-
ident the porter oithe bank was present and said
that he had seen unknown persons inside the
bank counter; thnt one day ne found strnn-
ger behind tho railing near tho vault and that
on another o"casion the ianitor had seen man
In ;he Presidents room. who Jumped out OF the
window to the sidewalk on Fulton street. Ser
gennt Phillips OF the Twcnty-seventh Precinct
police had frequently seen suspected charac-
ters about the corner OF Greenwich and Fulton
streets. About siNty days before the robbery he
received information from Detective keneally
that an attempt on the Occnn Bank was proba-
bic, and he aud others Of the force watched
several nights, but saw nobody around, shortly
after this he visited the bank several times and
saw Cashier Stevenson and President Martin,
| and told them whit he mad seen aud heard. and
| declared that the bank WAS Insecure without a
| watchman. Stevenson always referred him to
| Mr. Martin. who listened courteously. but told
him that he thought tho bank was perfectly Sc
| cure.
III.
On the 9Th OF February. 1869 the Globe Insur-
ance Company obtained q more eligible onlce.
and with the consent 81 the bunk officers subiet
| the basement 10 Nswcomb 4 O'Neil. real estate
agents. Mr.. Holly then iocuarly told MIR. Nor
| ton that in losing him for tenant the bank had
lost ts Watchdog. and seriously urged him to
employ private Waterman, but was lau2hingly
! told that the bank would trust its strong vault
and cheertully dispense with private wgtchmen
and volunteer wHtchdogs. Nrwcomb ONeil
| occupied the basement about three months.
| May |. 1863. William Okell. n broker doing bus-
ness under the Stuyvesnnt Bank. on broadway.
| above Grand street. leased the hasemen verbally
| and without stipulation rs to sublettinR. In "A
short time oxen suhleta part OF the front object to
Mr.. Berry. who represented himself ~ n steam
| ship agent. On the 18Th OF June u man repre-
senting himself IA Lewis X. Cole leased Of Okell
| the renr part of the basement This transaction
| was concluded by tho execution OF the following
singular paper:
SEx YoRK June i2 1890 i have this day rented from
Mr. W. Osell the extrvme back Office U basement 1917
Grecnwch street under Ocean Bank rate OF s8o yer
,n @Ss, IN ana sSSs B9a 'hs
day OF May 70 istday OF July, isse
witness. j. W Edward.
Why the lease is dated June IL when. &C
| cording TO Okell's statement Cole nrst came 10
| him on the 18th. and why rent was paid from
the lst OF May to the lst OF July have never been
explained. But okell's statemcnt Of what iol;
the basement was separated from the front by
| a wood and glass PARTITION The man took the
| and was never seen AtterwHrd by Okell. One
| day he heard n noise and looked into the back
| room and saw some men moving in large and
apparently heavy wardrobe. He never saw any
| thing else or any other signs OF occupancy. The
window blinds we're never opened and the door
| was apparently always locked. All thls seems
| TO have eNcitei no suspicious before tho rob-
| berry. and led TO no Investigation by the officers
OF the bunk or the police alter the burglary.
Nv.
Mr. Holly heard OF the robbery and hastoned
| TO the bank. He found Mr.. Martin in his room
| and thoughtlessly. unsus o .ctingly said. They
have done 1t, haven't theyf" There we're other
| miraculous skill OF the burglars. Holly saw
that his exclamation produced marked effect;
| that Mr.. Martin was AZ itHtcd and apparently
| uunerved. Instantly no said bescec hingy in u
low tone 10 Holly, For Gods sake aud mine
never make mention OF any conversation that
| has ever passed between me and you In relation
to the robbery OF this bank!"
Cashier Stevenson, according TO his narrative
| Of what occurred alter his arrival at the bank
| that morning. took things coolly He mani
Tested no curiosity about the details OF the burg
lars preliminary operations. A hasty glance at
the hole through the floor Of the Presidents
room was sufficient for him. His story OF that
mornings work is as follows: OF course there
WAS great excitement and confusion. | as ked
Hartshorne. the assistant cashier. what had
been saved; II he knew wnat had been taken.
| OF course he could not tell then. | found i'm
mediately that our exchanges, Hs we call them.
were all safe. and the mail had not been opened.
| told him 10 go 10 work and make NJ the eX-
changes SO We could make our settlement with
the Clearing House rs soon as possible. wrote
10 Mr.. Camp of the Clearing House 10 give us
twenty minutes time in consequence OF the
bank having been robbed. H. sent word 10 do
the best we could and get down MS soon ms pos
sible with our exchanges dld not 20 into the
vault 20 see the general operations OF the burg
lars. ! could not help the matter by going in
there and knew II was more important for me
to attend TO what was TO come than what was
past"
that the burglars. contrary n their uniform
habits. had lett available funds for the bank to do
business with. His first inquiryo thenssistnnt
cashier was-what WAS left and what taken. He
says he knew he could not tel-but neyerthe-
less in the confusion worse coniOunded that
prevailed Mr.. Stevenson sent word 10 the Clear
ing House that within twenty minutes the bank
would make its settlements. The bank would
20 right along with business rs II no robbery
nad happened.
v.
Theodore N. Davis was among the early ar
rivals At the Ocean National Bank the morning
after the robbery. According 20 his statement
he was not the regular attorney Of the bank but
a depostor and came to draw money and thus
learned Of the robbery. Il was" he says
Immediately called upon and requested tu
undertake an investigation into the robbery.
| | pursued the investigation and recovered
$3.50 900 OF the money stolen" His method Of
| pursuing the Investigation was as follows: He
established himself in the Presidents room
and Detective Elder, representing Police Head
quarters. acted with him. Drtectyes KelsO and
| Elder came to the bank, when headquarters WAS
notified OF the robbery. from the Iwenly-sev-
enth Precinct station. Their examlnation OF
the operations ot the burglars, ACCORDING To-
their sworn statements. was but cursOry They
expressed no opinion save that It was the work
| OF skilful men. III they had any suspclons Hs
To who these were they did not make hem known
except to Mr.. Davis. The Pres Hnd Cashier
| held no communications with the detectives.
Elder says that about all he did WIS 10 get the
numbers oil the stolen bonds and communicate
them TO the dealers 30 that the thieves could
not dispose OF them. DAVIS did not try 10 have
the thieves caught. Two private detectives
called upon the President OF the bank soon after
tne robbery and rendered ther services. sny lng
that they had n clue ~ the rooDers. Mr.. Martin