The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-14

of Cashier Wittlesley, his wife, another
married pair, two ladies and servant were
awakened, bound, and placed under guard
Scott and Dunlap. the leaders, then took
Whlttlesey in charge. He was ordered at
the point Of the pistol to surrender the
combinations of the vault and safe, He
tried to temporize, and gave the robbers a
false set Of combinations. Here was an
emergency that the cunning of Scott was
equal to. It would have wasted precious
time to have gone after four o'clock to the
distant bank to test the figures, and to take
hlttlesley through the open streets would
be to risk the success Of the whole scheme.
So Scott, who had taken down the numbers
on paper, suddenly asked Whittlesley to
repeat them. The cashier could not recall
the fictitious figures, and his deceit was
evident The robbers then resorted to
more herioc means. The cashier was
pounded, kicked and choked until at last
in pam and terror he gave the real numbers
and the most difficult part of the robbers
task was done. -s.
For three hours the masked gang kept
the whole household docile prisoners until
at o'clock the watchmen left the bank.
on guard over Whittlesey and the other
captives another part went to the.bank.
The weak doors were quickly entered, the
outer door Of the massive vault swung open
at the touch Of Edsons duplicate keys, and
one after another the four sets of combin-
atoms Of the vault and safe yielded, and
all the securities in the large safe were ex-
posed to view. The bonds, stock and
money were tumbled hastily into bags and
taken to hiding place to be described
hereafter in schoolhouse about q mile
from the bank. All the doors were then
closed and the diais wrenched off SO as to
delay the opening of the vaults and safe.
The robbers stole altogether about ST.
100000 Of which 1888, 900 was in coupon
andaregistered bonds, $500, 900 in stocks
and ST., 900 in bank bills. OF the bonds
some $50, 200 were In government coupon
bonds and easily negotiable. There was a,
second safe IN the vault containing with
other securities abont $500, 900 in bonds
belonging to Smith College for Women;
but the combination of this safe the gang
had forgotten to get from Whittlesey and
no attempt to open it was made. Having
hidden their booty part Of the burglars
took q wagon in waiting and rode to
Springfield, twenty miles away, where
they were joined by their associates who
had come down by rail on an early train.
by different routes. III =.
The shock to the comm unity here when
the news of robbery spread can be realized
only by those who know how small mat
the will excite New England town. The
people passed through the three stages of
incredulity, terror and Mysteries. For DAYS
the bank was surrounded by gaping crowd
and people came from miles around to look
at the now famous building and hear the
story of the robbery. Edison was sent for
to open the locks, his completely in the
crime not having been even then suspected.
It took twelve hours to reach the inner safe.
and for that time the success of the robbers
was doubted. When the magnitude of
the robbery was realized and the first
shock was over the bank officers took
prompt steps to detect the burglars. Print
ed lists of the numbers of the stolen bonds
were distributed in every banking house in
New York city with notice that the firms
which bought the stolen securities would
be held responsible, and lists were also
sent to every money centre in Europe.
Lynx-eyed detectives wereset by the dozen
on the track of the burglars, and as it had
been reported from some source that the
bonds were hidden in the town, every
street was watched day and night Sus-
picioss looking strangers were Swallowed,
md every suspected hiding place was search
ed. Here, too, comes in q sin.
gular incident of the crime. With obvious
lack Of caution the robbers had left in the
upper part of the schoolhouse where they
ha been accustomed to meet bits Of food,
q lantern and other marks Of their profess
sion. These discoveries led to most rigid
search of the building. Partitions were
knocked apart, and every part Of the struc-
ture, save one, that could possibly be used
as q hiding place was explored. In that
single spot left unsearched the bonds were
actually concealed. At one end of the low
er rooms was a small platform on which
the younger scholars used to stand to reach
a blackboard. The robbers had. taken up
a board, placed the stolen booty inside and
fastened back the timber with screws. The
heads of the screws, however, they covered
with putty, which had been painted the ex-
act color of the paint on the platform. The
searchers examined the board, but the UNI
broken line Of paint threw them off the
scent and they overlooked the plumber
when actually standing within few inches
of it.. After the first alarm and general
search were over one Of the robbers returned
toNorthamptOn by night, entered the school
house, secured the bonds and took them to
New York. When later events disclosed
that all securities for which great reward
had been offered for MANY weeks within
easy reach Of anybody in NORTHAMPTON the
chagrin here may be conceived.
The story Of the detection Of the GRIMM
ais is scarcely less strange than the details
Of their crime. After the robbery Edison
fell out with his confederates. They had
refused him his share of the booty, accused
him of treachery and feeling sure he /