New-York tribune., 1882-04-20
MASKED BURGLARS UNSUCCESSFUL.
AN ATTEMPT TO ROB THE BANK AT sOMERs.

| AN ATTEMPT To ROB lfiE DAMN Al oOhr'II''
FOUR MEN AND TWO WOMEN BOUND AND GAGGED
THE ROBBERS FoILED IN TRYING TO BLOW A
SAFE OPEN.
An audac,ous attempt to rob the Farmers and
Drovcrs' National Bank of SOmers, Westchesier
| County which is few miles southwest OF Cr0tOn
Falls was made early yesterday morning. and has
thrown that community into fever of excitement.
The bank is situated III brick building, owned by
the president, William Bailey who lives on the
opposite side of the street about twenty rods away
The greater part of the building Is rented by George
T. Chdpman veterinary o,in fHrge4hn ths Eho EIe
phant Hotel. He has general charge OF
the bank rooms also, and employs. aeont
his own premises several servants including four
men, all of whom sleep in the building he cash
er, A. B. Thacker. lives in the main street OF the
village about the same distance from the bank as
the presidents house.
On Tuesday night Mr.. Chapman was away from
home. His wife and her sister occupied room III
rectly over the ban king room. AD ut o'clock IN
the morning their sleep was broken by the forci0e
entry into their room of masked man, who, point,
ing heavy revolver at them, warned
them to remain perfectly quiet aud submit 10 be
blindfolded They did go, and were led into another
room bound with cords and gagged. The TOUR men
in the binding were also secured by handouts as
over them armed with IeyoverS Inc inmates OF
the hotel think that there were SIX
of the burglars, al masked. None or me
prisoners was able to give any description or the
robbers. soon after the inmates OF the building
were thus secured they heard noise ike an eX-
plo ion in the direction of the bank room. Aoouf
the men employed by Mr.. Chapman Quick Dy
name, succeeded in eXtricating himself from ne ne
handcuicd, by some means got out of tie mouse ana
reused the cashier and the president. The new soon
spread among the neighbOrs, several o1 WhOm
hastened to the hotel to investigate
IL was found that the outer doors of the sale nad
been drilled and gunpOwder introduced, win the
design OF blowing open the safe. The attempt how
ever ii learned later. was only partly success
full. The dry packing of the door, which serves TO
make the safe fire-proof, had been scattered
over the room, and the door was Deht
out by the force of the explosion But
il was still question with the alarmed bank
people whether or not the burglars had secured
any OF the contents OF the safe and closed the doors
again. as is the practice sometimes III order 10 cause
delay. Cashier Thacker. without waiting 10 see
The hotel men unhandcuticd or to learn details,
came 10 New York by the $50 train, and went to
the office of Herring q Co., the safe-inakers to get
an expert TO open the safe aud make any
needed repairs; He called at Police Head Head
quarters on his way back and consulted
with the officials there. and returned on
the 1890 train While in the city the cashier re-
ceiyed dispatch from the bank people at Somers'
stating that The safe had been opened and every
thing had been found all right inside. lie wrote
out a brief statement of the affair III which he says
"A persistent attempt to rob the safe was made; the
freproof door was blown open by heavy charge
of powder, but DTcry effort failed to eject an
entrance into the bankers sale inside. Al
Herring d Co.'S office 1t was stated mat IN;
outer COOr was not blown Opcn Int Only started
and bulged out IN the middle but as the bolts held
the attempt was unsuccessful =,
Inc DurGlarS cNlucullJ NcIc pl'Pdl'i W ~" 'ii'
bank by bTeaKiug into the safe and made 10 A.
tempt 10 secure anyone in whose possession the
combination was he bank is one OF the Oldest
in the county and its safe is one OF tue older pat
terms. Had the robbers succeeded III forcing open
the outer doors it Is probable that the treasures in
the inner safe would have fallen INTO their hands
without much further trouble. Alter failing IN
their attempt the burglars stole horse wagon and
set of harness from the stable of stephen Brown a
ncIghbOrlng farmer, and drove away, probably TO
some railroad station, leaving in their flight
quantity of tools on the floor of the bank including
Il sedge hammer. drill, flask partly liled with
powder and some other explosives.