The Irish standard., 1888-09-08
THE IRISH STANDARD: SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 8. .
BANk-ROBBER DUNLAP.


BANIl-ROBBER DUNLAP.
His Part in Two Of the Most Dar-
ing Criminal Enterprises.
| A Jealous Policeman Turns Him from an
| Honest Man Into y THETA Strong
Application for His Pardon-How
Criminals Are Made.
a dispatch from Boston to the effect that
pardon has been asked for and refused
! James Dunlap, one of the Northampton
| (Mass.) bank thieves, revives interest IN
| the particulars of one Of the most gigantic
| robberies on record, says the Chicago
Tribune It was committed in 1877 by James
Dunlap, Robert Scott, James Green, q man
| named Corners, Edward Farrell and James
Brady, all Of whom are either dead Or in
! prison. James Dunlapis an Illinoisan and
served throughout the war of the rebellion
| in an Illinois regiment. His war record was
excellent, and he was badly wounded at
Mission Ridge. He came to Chicago in 1854
or 1885 and entered the service OF the Rock
! Island road as passenger brakeman. Dun
! lap was at this time sober, Industrious,
straightforward man and enjoyed the con-
| fdence OF his employers. A singular Cir
cumstance turned him into a trstrclass
! thief. Dunlap was enamored of q woman
! who lived on Clark street. a city police
man was Duniap's rivel, and several times
arrested the brakeman and booked
hi at the station as ga suspicious CHAR
| &C :, and thief Dunlap lost his position
on the road and began frequenting the
Notorious saloon then kept by Count"
| Riley. He was induced to Join band of
burglars and drifted into career Of
! crime. He met Bob Scott, who was born in
Warsaw, ILL.,, and the pair became fast
! friends. Scott was rough country burg
lar, but soon showed progressive turn OF
! mind Dunlap and Scott travelled together
good many years, and formed the &C.
| quaintance of fellow named Edison, who
| was one of the travelling agents Of the Her
| ring Safe Company in New York. Edison
went through the country examining
| safes, and made diagrams of all banks
easily robbed. Ho it was who first de-
| veioped the idea Of the use of an air-pu1np
| in forcing powder into the lock- Of vault.
| Dunlap and Scott made an air-pump
| and tried it at q National Bank in Quincy,
| ILL.,, where they got about $685. GOO as the re-
suit OF their experiment.
| Shortly afterward the air-pump was used
ct Northampton, Mass, and about 81, 200,-
600 in money, coupon bonds and negotiable
| securities carried OFF. The valuables were
deposited with John, alias q Red " Leary, a
notorious New York thief. Several de-
tectiyes tried to find out who robbed the
! bank. They did nothing, however, and
Major Allan pinkerton was called into the
case. He, ia company with his soas,
son's connection with the affair. Edison
was arrested and induced to confess. He
implicated Scott, Dunlap & Co., and they
! were brought into camp. Scott and Dun
! lap were tried, and received sentence Of
! imprisonment for twenty years. Leary
! was arrested and locked up in Ludlow
! Street Jail He made Ills escape from the
| bastile, and went 10 Europe, carrying with
him the proceeds OF the robbery. He re-
| NAMED abroad couple of years, and then
slipped back to New York. Leary had by
| this time squandered g quarter OF million
| dollars Of the funds Of the bank. He hid
himself in a house on Long Island, where
he was occasionally visited by one
| "Butch" Mccoy. This individual was
! a notorious thief, and being taken
| up for shadow by Pinkerton's men. was
seen to communicate with a. mysterious
| stranger. TIE meetings occurred in the
! night at a little hotel in Long island. The
| stranger, who proved to be Leary, was ar
! rested Que cold winter morning by Robert
! A. Pin}kerton. Leary was mufled up driv-
| ing along in a sleigh. He was alone, and
J Pinke.ton covered him with % pistol, and
! handouffed him in less than q minute.
Leary WAS Immediately railroaded into
| Massachusetts and thrown into Jail.
| Scott and Dunlap were penniless, and had
often appealed to Leary for assistance.
! Leary's answer was always the same. He
| said he was on the outside, while Scott and
Dunlap were iii. They did not see matters
! in the same light as himself. III they We're
| with him there would be no disagreement
as to the policy to be pursued, and would
coincide with his ideas-thar it was best to
| give up absolutely nothing, Scott and Dun
lap were willing to restore to the bank all
the money and securities remaining in
| Leary's hands, but the fence refused to
yield up When, however, Leary was in
carcerated, Scott and Dunlap wrote him
another Letter. They said he had always
referred to the difference existing in their
| conditions, and refused to do any thing be-
cause they Gid not see things alike. Now,
! since Leary, like themselves, was behind
the bars, probably he could see things in
| the same light as themselves. Leary was
| told to return to the bank every dollar in
his possession, or make up his mind to join
his confederates In the penitentiary. Leary
weakened, and restored to the bank about
| 600 worth Of bonds and securities. He
was made to disgorge every thing in his
possession, and that without pecuniary re-
ward. The bank never would have gotten
dollar but for Scott and Dunlap, as, with
out their evidence there was absolutely no
way Of convictdng Leary OF completely in
the crime.
| Leary was in Chicago two years ago and
made quite stir on Clark street. He had
| q brilliant record as thief and jail-breaker.
He was dangerously wounded once in q
street fight, a bullet lodging in his skull
Leary carried this bullet to his grave.
| Bob Scott died Of consumption in the
Massachusetts penitentiary Dunlap must
be nearly fifty years of age now. he is
badly broken down and desires a pardon.
| His application for clemency is one of the
strongest ever presented to the pardoning
power. It is signed by the president and
| cashier, all tho stockholders of the North