Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-15
SEVEN THIEVES AND A BANK
Story Of the Recovery OF a
Stolen S1,5OO,O
Red Leary It's custodian
Neg citations that Failed
Scott and MAP. in Prison, Cause
His Arrest, and Thersupon the
Northampton Banks Vaults
FIJI Up Again

OF bones Wn1cn BlrS. amy ~. Wylle
had on deposit for safe keeping In the
bank at the time of the famous rob.
berry In 1876. The manner In which
the bank recovered from the thieves
81, 500, 600 In securities was partly
told for the first time in the evidence.
Many of the details that might have
been told by Detective Pinkerton
when he was on the stand were moi
elected. With these details supplied
by him the story of the recovery Of
the 81, 500, 900 of securities Is as fol
lows:
For a year after the robbery the
bank officers were constantly receiving
propositions for the return Of the
stolen securities. These proposition
came from lawyers in this city, ant
most of the correspondence was by adj
vertisements. At no time was the
difference between the price the
thieves asked and the price the bank
would pay reduced to less than 500,
0OO. As Q rule In such cases, the
thieves demand from 80 to 60 per cent
Of the value Of the stolen property,
and the losers do not want to pay
more than 25 or 80 per cent. In thia
instance the burglars at frst demanded
rs per cent.
After negotiating for q year, the
bank decided to act upon the advice
offered by Pinkerton's agency and
cause the arrest of as many of the
thieves as could be caught. The de.
tectives argued that 1t was useless t.
hope for the return of the property
until some Of the thieves we're in the
hands of the law. Shortly after thii
decision was reached Scott and Dan
lap, the latter the leader Of tho gang
were arrested In Philadelphia. They
were about taking q train south t.
commit another burglary. The,
were convicted at Northampton ant
sentenced to twenty years imprison
ment. At the same time Indictment
we're obtained sgainst Red Leary
Shang Draper, Commons and others o
the gang, They were arrested ant
lod. cd In Ludlow rtreet jail
from which Leary and Connors es
capped pending the long litigation owe
their extradition. The bank Tough
their cases to the court Of appeal
and through the supreme court of tn
United States.
In the meantime Q good deal o
quiet attention was devoted to
DUNLAP AND SCOTT.
1t was known that the former was tn,
brains and leader of the party. I
was said and believed of him that h,
always insisted before going into an,
job that If the plumber was to be helt
for ransom 1t should be left in ON
mans hands, and that he should b
the man. For this and other reason
he was believed to hold the key to tn
Northampton banks property. Ate
the pair had been In nriAops Zen JlgM
to tho c~ficers Of the bank that the,
could effect the return of all tn,
stolen securities except the govern
ment bonds and 500, COO of tn,
other securities. They had beer
Kept in separate confinement
Persons representing the banl
went to see them. Both insisted that
Dunlap alone controlled the property,
and that he would surrender in return
for u pardon or a new trial for both
Thoy said that before the robbery wal
committed, 1t was agreed that all o.
the railroad and other securities should
be held in bulk for redemption by the
bank. The government bonds, amount
ing to about $40, 900, and the $12,,
600 or $4,000 in cash were divided al
once. Two days before they we're sr.
rested 800. 900 of the more available
securities were set apart to be utilized
in raising ''fall money - that is,
money to help out any of the gang
who might DO arrested. Part OF thi.
800, 600 was the $25, 900 in bonds
belonging to Director Hinckley, OF
the bank, which he received by pay.
Ing SO. 600 for while Scott and Dun.
lap were being tried. The bonds
which Mrs. Wylie sought to recover
the value Of from the bank were also
part Of this 800, 900.
The bank was convinced that Dun
lap controlled the securities and of
forts were made to accede to his terms
but to no purpose. The various gov
ernors who were appealed to, declined
to listen to any proposition for thu
mitigation of tie sentence of the men
Governor Long said that it was be
meath the commonwealth of Massa
chusetts to entertain tor q moment an,
such proposition as the two Imprisoned
robbers made. He said that whel
they gave some indications Of peni
tence by returning the property snt
doing everything in their power t,
make restitution, 1t would be tim
enough to make appeals for olemency
At this time Scott and Dunlap ha,
apparently found means of communi
eating with their associates, who wer
out of prison and with each other
probably through their relatives, VIII
were allowed by law to visit them a
certain times. Both made attempt
to escape on the came day, and wer
aided from the outside. For eve
three years and a half they stuck t
the story that Dunlap alone controlle
the stolen securities, and his term
J were a pardon or new trial for both
Meantime Scott fell sick, and HIS dis
ease developed into quick oonsumr
ton. His mother, a very respectful
Christian woman, living
, NEAR WARSAW, ILL.,,
visited him and urged him to max
restitution. The dying burglar &C
-. oepted her advice. Dunlap was mad
acquainted with his companion
wishes, and apparently being iuflu
enced nv than as wall as convLnoo