Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-03-18
A CELEBRATED CASE.
One of the Most Famous Bank Rob
 berries Oa Record.

One of the Most Famous Bank Rob
 berries Oa Record.
 When Jonathan Edwards was preach ing the doctrine of original sin in the quiet and peaceful town of Northamp- ton, Mass, says the Detroit FIree Press, he probably little dreamed, in spite of his doctrine, that in less than century and half one of the most skillful and daring robberies would be committed in that town, forming G 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 se- curities, trust funds, cash, bonds, run ming up into the millions were deposited in it's 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 insupelable. There were two inner doors, each with its combination of four sets of figures there was a new and solid safe with double doors, each also with its combination of fonr tieures finally, 8 w&tchman stationed within .he bank kept guard until alter 1 o'clock each morning. People believed in 1t, as the Israelites believed in tiie ark of the covenant. What, then, Wis the consternation of this community when one morning it was announced that s. curities and cash, to the extent of a million and quarter dollars, had dis appearedi
 The originators of the daring rob berries were three famous cracksmen" who had already succeeded in breaking open several banks and plundering them of their riches. But, tie bank-safe con structols getting ahead of them, they persuaded EdsOn, one of the vorbmen employed by the Herring Safe C. mpany, to join the gang. It soon after hap p=ned that the locks of the Northamp. ton Bank were out of order and Edson was seut 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 l 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 com6i- 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 l he furnished the correct ones. After the watchman had left the bank at o'clock in the morning, the robbers proceeded thither, opened the vaults, took away the booty and escaped from town.
 It took twelve hours to open the locks, which the robbers had damaged. the unsnspected Edson being employed for 1 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 explEed-aH but the platform o1 which the children stood at the black board. The bonds and securities were l lying there while the searchers were in the room, but the robbers had, with coiored putty, hidden the scre'r heads which they had disturbed, and no trace of their proceedings was observable. After the excitement was over, the thieves returned one night and took possession of their booty.
 Edson, being refused his share of the plundeT, turned States evidence and saw two of his confederates begin q twenty-years' sentence in Stata prison Other members of the gang were arrest ed at the end of four years, aud those already in prison, with the hope of a pardon, threatened to exp0se the whole conspiracy unless the securities were returned. All but $I50, coo were brought back, and the prosecution was dropped. This was accomplished 1t the expense of the reputation of the bank officers, who were charged with compromising a felony in order to get possession of thel treasure. In many of its features it was the most cunning and daring of schemes in the history of crime.