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

1ne History OF the Crest Northampton
Bank Robbery-Hew the Deed was Com
cocted. Accomplished and Exposed "A
Marvel of Criminal Adroitnes- Picturesque
gest Bank Burglary.
orthampton, Mass, Correspondence of the
Evening Post
Five years ago the Northampton National
bank was the most prosperous Of the fnan-
cial institutions of this town. It had cap
ital Of four hundred thousand dollars and
surplus three quarters as large. It's stock
and sixty dollars q share, its management
was conservative, and in nothing did the
orethought Of its officers appear more con-
spicious than in the precautions which they
had taken against burglary. Inside Of the
MASSIVE bank building, which stands on,
one of the principal corners of the town,
was solid vault. to unlock the outer door
of lAe vstlst several Keys were required, and
thsAs KEN were distributed among as many
bank officers. Inside Of the vault also the
obstacles to burglary seemed insuperable.
There were two inner doors, each with it's
combination of four sets of figures; there.
was a new and solid safe with double doors,
each also with it's combination of four fig
ures; finally Waterman stationed within
the bank kept guard until four o clock each
morning. The financial integrity and ada
mantine safeguards of the institution made,
1t popular one with the solid men and
danes Of Northampton. In it were de-
posted not only the securities of individuals
but the funds of trusts as we'll as the cash
and bonds of the bank ITSELF We may
imagine then the CONSERVATION that spread
over the community when on the morning
of the 26th of. January, 1876, it was re-
ported that the pet bank had been robbed,
and when it was found little later that Sc
cur1tles worth almost a million and quar-
ter Of dollars and all the cash Of the bank
seemed reduced to poverty at a stroke, the
props Of the widow and fatherless were
broken, and even the scant Investments of
poverty were swept away in the general
disaster. -. .. n. .s.... 5a.
The originators of this crime and chief
agents III its execution were three expert
'cracksmen,' whose records may Justly
preface the story of their browning work.
Robert c. Scott, James Dunlap and
William Corners were trio of
rogues who had chosen bank breaking .'as
their criminal specially. They were men
of boldness, nerve, patience and rare skill
in laying out" burglary. Working in
combination they had during a series Of
years Cracked" many safe and secured
bonds altogether estimated to be worth
$3, OOO, 900 though of course not netting the
robbers that sum. In 1872 the trio robbed
the Falls City Bank in Louisville, KY, of
5000, 900, and two years later after most pa
tlent and persistent work they penetrated
bank vault at Quincy, ILL.,, and stole sever
al hundred thousand dollars, none of which
has been returned. Several Of their at
tempts scarcely less bold and cunning than
that at N Northampton barely failed. Find
stripping them, the gang sought the hid Of
some confederate whose technical knowl-
edge of keys, wards and bolts would sup
plement their own adroitness, and who,
working outside Of the pale of immediate
danger, would be tempted by an equal share
in the booty. They found him in William
d. Edison, a skilled workman of Herring
d Company, the safemakers. He Joined
the gang in 1873, advised and assisted them
when his aid was needed and took his
share in the nefarieus spoil @
In an evil hour the officers of the North
ampton Bank fell in the tolls of this knave.
Some two months before the robbery there
had been difficulty with some Of the doors
and locks OF the vault, and Edison had been
sent for as an expert to make the necessary
repairs. The clever felloY saw his oppor- 1
tunity. Entrusted with tie keys used to
open the outer door of the vault he took
wax Impressions, from which, on his return
to New York, duplicate keys were made.
But the fellow did stroke of business still
more clever. There still remained the four
fold combinations of the inner doors and
the safe to be overcome. Edison was aware
thata clerk Of the bank. knew some Of
these combinations, and he artfully sug-
gested to John Whittlesey, the cashier.
that there was danger in thus trusting a
subordinate. By his advice all the comb
nations were finally gwen to Cashier Whit
tlesey: With the keys of the outer vault
held by the robbers the whole question Of
9 successful robbery depended upon elicit
ing the combinations from the cashier, Ia
mol Inv o& 80 e,s,.o -, e.