The Osceola times., 1886-11-27
THE BOSS BANK BURGLAR.
Jimmy Hope. Who Planned the Robbery
OF the Manhattan Bank OF New York
in 1878, Arrested at Last.

robbery OF the Manhattan savings lnsti'
tuition on October ~, 1873, when S3,lOO,O0o
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. lie Is
Jimmy" Hope, the most notorious
,racksman and burglar in the country.
lie was sentenced on June 20, 1881, TO
eight years imprisonment for robbinS the
bank of +. Berton a Co., in san Francisco.
he!and confederaics dug hole under the
building, bored through the stone flooring
of the vault and stole ,00O 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 for good behavior, his
term OF Imprisonment will expire at noon
to-day. lie will only exchange his cell in
a California prison Tor one in New \ ork.
A detaner has heen lodged with the san
Quentin authorities, and an officer mas
been sent there to bring him to New YORK
The burglary of the Manhattan Bank
was committed In the most daring manner.
At q O'CLOCK in the morning five masked
men entered the sleeping room OF the
janitOr of the bank, an old man named
Louis Werckle. lie had just finished
dressing, aud was going down stairs TO
sweep out the office. His wife and mother
in-law were in adjoining rooms. The
burglars stole quietly b hind Werckie and
the tive women, drew cloths over their
mouths and eyes, and placing revolvers at
their heads threatened to Kill them II they
made the least outcry. Wcrckle was COM
PEELED through terror of like punishment
to give up the combination Of the safe in
which the money was kept. Two men
were left as a guard over him and the
women, and the others went down stairs
I. II a.al
all the available booty the guards were
withdrawn and the burglars made their
escape.
The officers who worked up 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 2l, 1873,
and sentenced to twenty years in Sing
Sing, where he now il. 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 mystery.
In December, 1SlS, 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 aud 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
a San Francisco jail for the Bcrton 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
WallIng's request and sent Jimmy Hope
TO San Quentin prison.
Before ho planned and executed the
Manhattan Bank robbery "Jimmyn Hope
had made for himself n criminal record
lnrivaled in the UDte1 States. In 1863, in
company with Frank Mccoy and Johnny
DQbbs, he stole 81 100000 in money aud
securities from the Beneficial Savings In
stitutiOr in Philadelphia, but escaped
prosecution by returning most of the
stolen property aud fleeing the State
Nine months later he put into effect plan
To rob the Iaymastcr's safe ia the Phia-
delphia Navy Yard. This time he was
IA rested and sent TO the Eastern Peniten-
tiary. After short stay there he got
posse sslnn of the key to an inner door,
took the clothes of "a bricklayer, which
were lying in the yard, and walked past
the eunsuspecting gate keeper into the open
air.
BY 1872 lie had become the chief spiris
OF choice gang of burglars, among them
Big jim Brady, the two McCoys and Joe
Howard, alias kiugsland. Ia 1870 the
cider Hope, with these four, was arrested
aud convicted for breaking into the First
National Bank of Wilmington, Del, but
while in prison they organized a revolt,
beat down the keepers and escaped. On
the night of February >, 1871, Hope, in the
unii0im ot policeman, went to the SOU th
Kensington National Bank OF Philadelphia
and told the ianitor he had been sent to
prevent burglary. lie let in three CON
tederates, also in the police uniform. who
overpOwered the wat huau and got away
with Sl00,G00 in cash and securities. The
thieves hid tn ir ttaces 20 wen that they
" ere never captured. ln October, ls12, he
was one of Tie three men who stole $780,
900 from the Saratoga County Bank, Of
Waterford, \, v, and in 1874 he was con
nected with the rohberics OF the Milford
National Bank, when 100000 was stolen
nd the First National Bank OF Quincy,
H., where they carried olr $4,000
Jimmy Hope is - wears old. He is
,Alled mechanic, and while in the san
Quentin prison has invented and perfected
q very ingenious form Of SPRING lock for
rison cells. He was always noted for his
.Oolness and confidence, even at the most
critical moments, and his suavity and
sulished manners won him tie Sobriuuet
n "Gentleman Jim" He l. due IN New
ork on Monday next, and when he mr.
ives he viii lie uied un'ler the old indict-
ient. His conviction j. "A forogone con-
fusion, as the evidence against him is too
irOng to be cOntrovcrted.