The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-02
MANHATTAN BANK ROBBERS.
THE CRIMINALS AND THEIR CRIME AT
LENGTH COMPLETELY EXPOSED.

Ing and then succe.sruI In n High Degree. |
Patrick Shevelin was arrested by Police |
Captain Thomas Byrnes on Wednesday night |
last The Captain had him taken to the Jefferson
Market Police Court every morning until yes
terday. not by a detective. but by IN officer in
uniform. 80 that the arrest should not excite
attention and thus acquire publicity. Justice
Morgan. who understood the cause OF tho ar
rest and the necessity Of secrecy would express
by q motion to the officer that his prisoner was
remanded Shevelin. by an arrangement pre-
concerted with the officer would leave the court
room alone. rs IL he had been discharged with
out punishment for some petty offence. The
officer would follow him slowly out, and when
both wero on the sidewalk. safe from tho eyes
OF all in tho court room. the former would
resume his position by his prisoners side and
accompany him back to the Mercer street
police station.
shevelin was. until after the robbery OF the
Manhattan Savings Institution in October, one
Of the two watchmen employed by the bank.
The other watchman. who on that occasion was
on duty until O'Clock in the morning. Is named
Keely. The iantor's name is Louis Werkle.
sheven left the bank soon after the robbery.
The other two are yet employed there.
Yesterday morning Capt Byrnes entered the
police court. followed by Detectives Dorsey.
Steven Sullivan. Giger. Doherty. and half a
dozen policemen In uniform. Immediately be-
hind the officers focked throng Of men.
among whom an old detective present in the
court counted fifteen well-known thieves and
burglars. Surrounded by the officers were
three prisoners. Shevelin VIM. Kelly. and Henry
Genn Shevelin wore blue coat and trowsers,
a white vest a new straw hat. and small
black moustachc. He is middle aged, short
stout. and his face bore good natured smile.
IL. ,.rk, xvtfh xrua afaA
Saturday night is regarded rs the most i'm
portant capture wore a well-cut suit OF brown
English cashmere. He. too. is short and stout.
He wears a sely-trimmed. light-colored
mousAchc. His appearance resembles that OF
sporting man Of the Renteel type. Henry
Glenn. who. it is said. will probably be dis
charged. sweltered in a heavy black suit. He
has thick black hair and full beard. All three
were remanded until ? o'clock to-day in order
10 give time TO obtain additional evidence.
They said nothing in court. Kelly was the only
one handcufied rs he was taken from the room.
Two well-dressed men. who met him at the
street door. gave him a couple OF cigars. and
wished him well out OF the scrape.
Captain Byrnes who has been at work on the
case since the bank was robbed OF over
$1,000. 900 in money and securities on the morn
ing OF October 81. 1878 said last eve ling that
he was at last able 10 give a tolerably clear and
connected account OF how the robbery was
planned and carried out. though II would be
necessary to omit the names OF some OF the
burglars yet uncaught. Shevein was ap-
preached over three years and half ago
r by two men. both OF whom had been his
schoolmates. One OF these is known as
Little Tracy and ia now in prison. The
other Captain Byrnes knows as Big Kid"
The argument they used with him was the
same in kind as that used by the sporting
men" with whom bank burglar Edison the
principal witness IN the NORTHAMPTON trials.
fel In with while he was an honest travelling
salesman for Herring 4 Co. tho safe
manufacturers. They told shevelin that
he was man ... Of hah ability ,nl, and that i
part Of the bank TO make him work for few
dollars a. week; that the bank took advantage
OF him. because he was a poor man. TO make
him work for a piitance while 1t was itself rob
bing thousands. When they showed him how
he could better himself as they argued. with
perfect safety by aiding them to commit a
burglary. he al first refused. but after few in
leryiews his opposition grew weaker and at
several meetings were held. In which " Big
Kid " Little Tracey" and " Big Tracey" and
ticipated. But this company Of burglars was
broken up BY the arrest of some OF them for
other crimes. The fact. however was known
that an inmate OF a wealthy bank was
approachable. Six months aiterward Little
H% Hope the H''Ila father of john hhs'eHp Hope R who
Was arrested some time ago by Capt.
Byrnes on suspicion OF connection with this
robbery Jimmy Hope had several conversa-
tons with Sheveln and Shevelin learned that
besides HOPE andilracey. there were in the gang
George Leslie Howard whose body was after
ward found by tho roadside near Yonkers;
John Dobbs. recently arrested in Philadelphia,
and jim Brady who belongs 10 Pete Curley's
Troy gang. which was made famous by the
Saratoga County Bank robbery; Jim Brady is
the man VINO was once shot 10y DetectiVe Dllks.
and whose cr minal career has formed a series
OF desperate exploits.
These men plotted with Shevelin for two or
aNul rHrtNft asaNaFu IL
the bank wore made. but on none Of them could
sheyelin promise the burglars sufficient time
10 complete the work. The leaders Of this asso-
citation were drawn of to undertake other jobs.
aud the scheme 10 rob the Manhattan Bank
Msh ms ~ aoey yan,e uht'I two Years ana nan ago;
4nen JlmInt iopr sought Snrys,ln again. ana
Johnny Dohbs and Big Xii" co0perated
actively with hin, Hope was let into the bank
one SUNDAY. lie examined the vault doors
carefully and went out again. On the next
sunday he gave Shcvehn some wax. with which
the street door key. Hope had a key made
This was given to Shayelin to see II 1t would fit.
He found that 1t did III, aud returned tho key 10
Hope. On the next Sunday Hope was admitted
into the bank. where he took on the combina-
ton plate from the vault door. exam
ined II carefully. and restored IL. On
the following sunday he visited the bank
again with Johnny Dobbs. They drilled
combination plate and threw back the four
t,HmbleEs Of Tie lock WITH a piece OF wire which
open tho door. When they had entered the
vault. however, they found that the two steel
SUES, Win combination locks, Whlch contained
the treasure, Were more than they could con-
quer in the time 80 minutesl which they yet
had 10 work in. Hope closed the vault door
and undertook 10 lock it. He replaced three OF
the tumbers, but while he was attempting 10
replace the fourth. tho wire slipped from his
hand through the hole drilled in the door and
could not he recovered.
Now" said oneof the burglars in Shevelin's
presence. - therrIl be Htumhlr."
He meant that the bank officers would dis
cover that an attempt had been made at bur
glary. He rubbed the brigh. metal sides Of the
hole where II WIS cut by tho drill with dirt
gathered from the floor, filed tho hole with
putty and rubbed dirt over the putty. On the
next morning the bank officers discovered that
one OF the tumblers was ont Of place. and sent
for an expert named Johnson. He had the door
removed from the vault and taken 10 the safe
manuactory that he represented. There tie
hole filled with putty was discovered. and il be-
came a question whether the hole was an old
one or had been recently made While John
son had been taking OF the. vault door for re-
moval 70 the shop. Big Kid" had entered tho
bank under, pretence OF getting 500 note
changed. He spent nearly twenty minutes
there watching the effect Of the discovery.
This AFFAIR reused the suspicion Of the bhnk
officers and frightened the thieves Nothing
more WAS done for eight months Then George
Mason a companion OF Joe DOllard Of Shang
Drnpers gang, and who was connected with the