Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-23
Wednesday Morning. March ss, 1881.
THE RELEASE OF THE NORTHANIP-
 TON BANK RO@@ERS.

The release of Red" Leary, Billy Corners and f'Shang'' Draper, the leaders in the Northampton bank robbery in 1876, excites general protest. In 1877, upon the testi-
 mory of an accomplice who turned State's
 evidence, these three notorious rogues were
 indicted for the commission of this crime. They were caught and held with great diff
 eulty, and only three weeks ago were they finally put on trial At this juncture the dis
 trict attorney asked that the case be given
 again to the grand jury that the indictment might be amended. Last Friday the grand
 jury reported their failure to find bill
 against the trio, and they were accordingly
 released. They went out of the court room
 in good spirits and departed for New York,
 where, it is reported, they held a reception
 on Saturday night, and were doubtless much
 honored and admired.
 The proof that they were the robbers was
 clear enough, but it was announced several
 weeks ago that settlement would be made.
 The bank had offered the robbers $1OO, ,O0O
 if they would return the $400, 1000 in bonds
 they had stolen. The robbers charged
 $50, GOO. Then parties were sent to nego-
 tiate and compromise, and it was stated that
 a settlement was sure to be effected, but the
 precise terms of the agreement were not pub
 ished. When the prisoners were brought
 up on the 18th the cashier of the plundered
 bank could give no evidence against them, and the two convicts, Scott and Dunlap, and Edson, who had turned state's evidence and given direct and convincing testimony on the preliminary examination, had now forgotten almost everything in relation to the affair, or they did not know anything about it. It is said that since last May, Scott and Dunlap, now confined in the Concord (Mass.) State prison, learning that there was no way in which they could get out, and thinking that they would have a better show for 8 pardon in the future, have been anxious to have the property re- turned. The Ego betweens," sharp New York lawyers, would not agree to it, and it was finally decided to arrest Leary and Con- ners, Scott and Dunlap agreeing to testify against them if the property was not forth coming. After the arrests were made Scott and Dunlap notified Leary that unless he would give up the property they would
 "So@ASAASN1 and New York lawyer turned the funds over to the president of the bank, who, it is stated, has had them in his possession for three weeks.
 But however the thing was done the ef- feet will be the same. The only way to deal with such criminals is, when they are caught, to shut them up in prison for the longest term possible and it would be we'll if they could be shut up for life. AS the Providence Journal well says: s'Nothing is to be hoped from them in the way of reform, and they are simply such noxious and predatory ele- lnents in society that it has the right to pre- vent their preying upon it by measures ade- 4uate for its protection. There is not only the direct danger from their own efforts, but they are the repositories of criminal knowl- sdge which they will impart to others and keep up the line of criminal succession both by instruction and example. The influence of such leaders in their profession upon the criminal class, which has pride of it's own, .nd the example of their Haunting profuse- ness is very great and mischievous Moth l ng can check it but the knowledge that no | skill or success can save them from the harsh l vengeance of the law, and that death in l prison is the almost inevitable end to such | Every example of escape or is of very injurious effect, and | this compromising of felony is crime whose | penalty should be estimated by it's damage to l the community"