The true northerner., 1881-07-15

One Of the MOst FnmOus Hank Rob-
berries Om Record.

One Of the Most Famous Hank Rob
berries On Record.
When Jonathan Edwards was preach.
quiet and peaceful town of Northamp-
ton, Mass, says the Detroit Free
Press, he probably little dreamed,
III spite of his doctrine, that in less than
II century and half one of the most
skillful and daring robberies would be
committed in that town, forming "a
celebrated case" in the annals of crime,
throwing final suspicion upon the bank
managers, some of whose ancestors, in
all probability, listened to the famous
New England divine.
The bank itself, massive building,
is the receptacle of the surplus money
of the rich and thriving population IN
the Connecticut valley. Individual So
curities, trust funds, cash, bonds, run
ming up into the millions were deposited
in its solid vault. To unlock the outer
door of the vault several keys are re-
quired, and these keys were distributed
among as many bank officers. Inside of
the bank also the obstacles to burglary
seemed insuperable. There were two
inner doors, each with its combination
of four.sets of figures there was new
and solid safe with double doors, each
also with its combination of four figures;
finally, q watchman stationed within .he
bank kept guard until after o'clock
each morning. People believed in it,
rs the Israelites believed in the ark of
the covenant. What, then, was the
CONSERVATION of this community when
one morning it was announced that Sc
curities and cash, to the extent of
million and quarter dollars, had dis
appeared! ~.
The originators of tho daring rob-
berries were three famous cracksmen"
who had already succeeded in breaking
open several banks and plundering them
OF their riches. But, the bank-safe con-
structors getting ahead OF them, they
persuaded Edison, one OF the workmen
employed by the Herring Safe Company,
to join the gang. II soon after hap
pened that the locks OF the Northamp-
ton Bank were out of order and Edison
was sent to make the repairs. Intrust-
ed with the keys, he made false ones
from wax impressions and persuaded
the bank officials that it would be safer
to intrust all the combinations with the
cashier. Whittlesey.
All being in readiness, the robbers, at
O'clock in the morning, January, 1876,
visited Whittlesey's house, bound and
terrorized him and his whole family, he
being ordered at the point of the pistol
to surrender the numbers of the combi-
nations. He gave wrong numbers.
But the thieves were more cunning.
After taking down the numbers and pro-
ceeding to converse on other subjects,
they suddenly ordered him to repeat the
figures. He could not recall them, and
was pounded, kicked and choked until
he furnished the correct ones. After the
watchman had left the bank at 4 o'clock
in the morning, the robbers proceeded
thither, opened the vaults, took away
the booty and escaped from town.
1t took twelve hours to open the locks,
which the robbers had damaged, the
unsnspected Edison being employed for
| the purpose. Search was made every
where, including Northampton itself,
! for the missing bonds. The school
house where the robbers had concealed
themselves, and where they left their
lantern and remnants of their luncheon,
was explored-all but the platform on
which the children stood at the black
board The bonds and securities were
lying there while the searchers we're in
the room, but the robbers had, with
colored putty, hidden the screw heads
which they had disturbed, and no trace
of their proceedings was observable.
After the excitement was over, the
thieves returned one Dight and took
possession of their booty.
Edison, being refused his share of the
plumber, turned States evidence and
saw two of his confederates begin a
twenty-years' sentence in State prison.
Other members of the gang were arrest
ed at the end of four years, and those
already in prison, with the hope of a
pardon, threatened to expose the whole
conspiracy unless the securities were
returned. All but $3.50, 900 were brought
back, and the prosecution was dropped.
This was accomplished mt the expense
of the reputation of the bank officers,
who were charged with compounding a
felony in order to get possession of their
treasure. In many of its features it was
the most cunning and daring of schemes
in the history of crime.