Passaic City record., 1895-04-27
ACLEVER BANK ROBBERY
Plainfeld first National Bank Loses
S22,765 in Mysterious Way.
TAKEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

Ihat a Stranger Engaged Clerk in
Conversation While His Confederates
R Reached the Vault.
The citizens of Plainfield, n j.. were as
stolen $22, 1865 from the vault of the First
National Bank of that city, and had
accomplished the theft so skilfully that
the hour of the robbery was not GER
tain; neither was there any good clew to
the identity of the guilty ones. The
money was supposed to have been taken in
broad daylight, while all save two of the
bank employees were at luncheon, and this
fact. with one or two unusual circumstances.
led Inspector Byrnes to believe that some of
the most skilful robbers in the country had
made Plainfield the headquarters of their
operations.
The bank is located at the corner of Front
street and Park. in the business center of the
city. The banking offices are on the first
floor, and there are law offices and other
business offices on the upper floors. The
money was in two packages. One con-
tanned 900 in new bills ranging in
value from 81 to $1,000. The other contained
$2765 in mutilated bills. The theft was not
discovered until the bank was about to close
for the day. Then Thomas Curran, a book
keeper, asked Cashier Runyon for the
mutilated bills, and search revealed the
fact that they had disappeared, together
with the other money.
The bank employs seven persons. They
are F. s. Runnyon, Cashier; D. M. Runyon,
Assistant Cashier; Adelbert Vail. Thomas
Curran, William Day and Fred Haynes.
bookkeepers, and Bert Steiner, assistant
bo Jkkeeper. There were nearly one hun
dred persons who entered the place during
the noon hours on the supposed day of
the robbery to transact business. At
12.15 O'Clock p m. Cashier Runyon went out.
He had hardly reached the lower steps of the
bank when a man passed him and entered
the bank. The latter went up to the window
and said to Vail: ''There is gentleman out
side in buggy who wants to talk to Mr..
Haynes" The man then turned around and
went out.
Haynes found man sitting in country
wagon dressed like farmer. The man had
a patch over his eye. When Haynes asked
him what he wanted he replied by saying
that he understood that Haynes did a little
bookkeeping after banking hours, and asked
him If he could go to Scotch Plains, where he
had a farm, and straighten out his books.
Haynes refused and returned to his desk.
1t is supposed that the man was one of the
thieves, and thought that he could hold
Haynes in conversation long enough to allow
his confederates to carry out their scheme.
Haynes, however, entered the bank SO
quickly that they did not do anything at
that time.
A quarter of an hour afterward a we'll
dressed man walked up to the window where
Assistant Cashier Runyon was writing and
said to him: "Can / have your attention a
few moments? want to transact some busi-
ness with the bank" He told the Assistant
Cashier that he wanted to know about de-
posting some trust money.
While the stranger was talking to Runyon
another man went to the window where
Bookkeeper Vail was at work. He asked
Vail some questions regarding the computing
of interest on three notes bearing differ
ent dates. Vail explained to the
man about the interest, but the
individual seemed to be rather dull and
asked the question over again several times.
While the strangers were In the bank Haynes
went to dinner and Steiner was out on an
errand. 1t was then the robbery was COM
mitted, according to the supposition.
The vault is located back Of the clerks Of
fee in the directors room. It was supposed
that the thief slipped In through another
door to where the vault was, and quickly
carried off the packages, while his accom-
pIices were talking to Runyon and Vail.
The bank directors held meeting and
summoned Bank Examiner George Stone to
meet them. The bank has a capital of $780,
600. and the surplus is $4,000. After the
meeting the directors issued circular stat
ing that the loss would not in any way inter-
fere with the business of the bank.