The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-11-26
THE BOSS BANK BURGLAR.
Jimmy Hope. Who Planned the Robbery
of the Manhattan Bank of New York
in 1873, Arrested at Last

OA the mammalian AEank OF New YORK
in 1873, Arrested at Last
NEW YORK, Nov. 2O.-The man who
planned and took the chief part in the
robbery of the Manhattan Savings Insti-
tuition on October y, 1878, when IS, 100, 900 |
worth Of United States bonds, securities |
and cash was carried off, was arrested in !
California on the 18th, and is on his way |
to New York for punishment. He is |
Jimmy Hope, the most notorious
eracksman and burglar in the country.
lie was sentenced on June %, 1881, to |
eight years Imprisonment for robbing the
bank OF f. BertOn q Co, in San Francisco.
Hesand confederates du 2 a hole under the |
building, bored through the stone flooring
OF the vault and stole $685. 600. Since his
conviction he has been an inmate of the
San Quentin State prison. and owing to
the liberal deductions from sentences
made to conyictS TO- good behavior, his
term OF Imprisonment will expire at noon
to-day. He will only exchange his cell in
a California prison for one in New York.
A det1Iner has been lodged with the San
Quentin authorities, and an officer has
been sent there to bring him to New York.
The burglary of the Manhattan Bank
was c0gamitted in the most daring manner.
At 6 O'CLOCK in the morning five masked
men en5ered the sleeping room of the
lanltor OF the bank, an old man named
Louis Werckle. He had Just finished
dressing, and was going down stairs to
sweep out the office. His wife and mother
in-law were in adjoining rooms. The
burglars SUOie quietly De hind w 6rckle and
the two women, drew cloths over their
mouths and eyes, and placing revolvers at
their heads threatened to kill them il they
made the least Outcry. Werckle was COM
PEELED through terror of a like punishment
to give up the combination of the safe in
which the money was kept. Two men
were left as guard over him and the
women, and the others went down stairs
for the money When they had secured
all the available booty the guards were
withdrawn and the burglars made their
escape.
The officers who worked mp the case ran
across evidence which convinced them that
the elder Hope was the soul of the enter
prise, and that he and his son were of the
party of masked men who entered the
bank. Johnny" Hope was arrested four
months later, and put on trial for the
crime. He was convicted on June q, 1879,
and sentenced to twenty years in Sing
Sing, where he now is. Two of the others
were tracked down in the course of time
and met their deserts. The elder Hope,
however, fed the State, and for long
time his whereabouts was a mystery.
In December, 1873, the safe of the Com
mercial Bank of Deep River, Conn.,, was
broken open, and the thieves were getting
away with big haul when they were dis
covered and fired upon. One of them was
Jimmy" Hope. He came very near being
captured this time, the police being close
on his track for several weeks. Two years
later when the news came that he was in
San Francisco Jail for the BertOn rob-
berry, Superintendent Walling sent dis
patch to the authorities there stating that
their prisoner was already under indict-
ment IN this city for participation in the
Manhattan Bank burglary, and asking
that the new charge against him might
not be pressed. The San Francisco author
tiles thought bird in the hand worth two
in the bush, so they denied Superintendent
Walhng's request, and sent Jimmy Hope
to a San Quentin prison.
Before he planned and executed the
Manhattan Bank robbery " Jimmy" Hope
had made for himself a criminal record
unriyaied III the United States. In 1869, in
company with Frank Mccoy and Johnny
Dobbs, be stole ST 100000 in money and
securities from the Beneficial Savings In
stitutiOn in Philadelphia, but escaped
prosecution by returning most of the
stolen property a fleeing the State.
Nine months later he put into effect plan
to rob the paymaster's safe in the Phila-
delphia Navy Yard. This time he was
arrested and sent to the Eastern Peniten-
tiary. After a short stay there he got
possession of the key to inner door,
| took the clothes of a bricklayer, which
were lying in the yard, and walked past
the unsuspecting gate keeper into the open
air.
By 1872 he had become the chief spirit
of a choice gang of burglars, among them
Big Jim Brady, the two McCOys and Joe
Howard, alias klngsland. In 1870 the
elder Hope, with these four, was arrested
and convicted for breaking into the First
National Bank of Wilmington, Del, but
WnD0 III prison Ju6y OFSuHlZeu u ECNOAJs
beat down the keepers and escaped. On
the night of February ?, 1871, Hope, in the
uniform of policeman, went to the South
KensingtOn National Bank of Philadelphia
and told the jantor he had been sent to
prevent a burglary. lie let in three con-
federates, also in the police uniform, who
| Overpowefed the watchman and got away
with 100000 i'll cash and securities. The
| thieves hid h'ir traces so well that they
| were never captured. In October, 1872, be
was one Of the three men who stole $780,,
000 from the Saratoga County Bank, of
| Waterford, n. Y, and in 1874 he was CON
| nected with the robberies of the Milford
| National Bank, when 100000 was stolen,
| and The First National Bank of Quincy,
! ILL.,, where they carried off $4,000.
Jimmy Hope is 80 years old. lie is a
! skilled mechanic, and while in the San
| Quentin prison has invented and perfected
! a very ingenious form Of spring lock for
| prison cells. He was always noted for his
| GOODNESS and confidence, even at the most
| critical moments, and his suavity and
| polished manners won him the sobriquet
| of " Gentleman jim" He is due IN New
| York on Monday next, and when he ar
| rives he VIII be tried under the old indict-
| ment. His conviction is fOregone con-
| clusiOn, as the evidence against him is too
| strong to J. e cOntroverted.