The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-06-23
A DETECTIVES TALE
The Story Of the Great Concord
Bank Robbery.

While walking up Washington street,
Boston, last week. l encountered a
well-known New York detective, who
said he was going to the Massachusetts
State Prison at Charlestown, and invit'
ed me to accompany him. We were,
of course, speedily admitted, when the
detective had a mysterious interview
with two of the convicts.
At the invitation of the warden we
subsequently made a tour of the
prison. In the shoe shop my detect-
i've friend called my attention to a
pale-faced mar who was bending over
a pegging machine.
That was Charley Adams" re-
marked the detective while we were
in our train to this city, 'rhough he is
better known TO the police as Langdon
W. Moore. He is one of the most
skillful bank burglars in this coun-
try"
' us he in now for robbing q bankp"
] asked.
Yes. He and q gang broke into
the Cambria geport Bank in 1880. and
he is now serving out a sixteen years
sentence. He will be out during the
summer Of 1892. owing to the COM
mutation for good behavior. and we
will have to keep u eyes open after
that"
why, he is quite gray said l. "Is
he not too old for more crimep"
Thieves like him are never too old
for work. Adams was born in 1880,
and has spent half Of the past forty
years in prison. He always aimed at
getting big plumber. He got so much
once that the authorities were afraid
to prosecute him."
How was that?' l asked. seeing
there was a chance for a story.
"Well, you must remember that al
the close of the war there was an inn
mense amount of money invested in
Government bonds. Adams and n
pal of his emptied the safe of a bank
and carried off nearly a million. When
arrested he gained his liberty by sur
rendering the greater part Of his
booty.
1.-The Concord Bank. OF Massa.
chusetts. had for its president n Mr..
George Haywood. who was also the
cashier of the County Savings Bank,
and he kept all the securities belong
ing to the latter institution in the
vault of the Concord Bank. All Of the
merchants and most OF the farmers in
that neighborhood had bonds on de-
posit in the vault for safe-keeping,
though, as 1t turned out. they could
not have chosen a more convenient
place for the burglars.
"a man named Harry Howard, but
more commonly known as English
Harry was a well-known and very
skillful burglar. He had met Charley
Adams while they were in prison to-
gether for bursting into different
banks. In the early part Of January.
1865. he happened to DO in Concord.
when the idea occurred to him that
the bank might be safely cracked. On
the impulse Of the moment English
Harry entered the bank and request.
cd change for a 800 bill. MI. Che
sheir, the teller, declined to give ii.
not liking Towards appearance.
This only angered the ex-convict.
and he at ono proceeded to Farming.
ham, where Adams was living on his
farm. The result Of their conference
was that q week after Adams called
at the bank and opened negotiations
for some 1880 United States bonds.
Having his eyes open. he soon discov.
cred that the cashier kept the key to
the vault on a ledge near the door,
and was also foolish enough to have
the combination on a paper beside it.
Adams and Howard then began
working out n plan for robbing the
vault They first took an impression
Of tho lock on the outer door, and
sent it to New York to have a key
made Fifteen days and nights