The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-21
A REPORTED BANK ROBBERY
4 STRANGE RUHOR 4FLOAT ON THE
 STREETS LAST EVENING.

New Haven Bank Reported to Have
 Been Robbed-Investigations by Bank
 officials Disclose No Evidences of a Rob-
 bery-Large Number of Citizens Excited
 by the Rumor-Origin of the Story.
 A strange and apparently unaccount- able rumor was afloat on the streets late yesterday afternoon, and spread rapidly last evening, to the effect that a New Haven bank had been robbed Saturday night, and the rumor was further that the bank robbed was To- cated on or near the corner of Chapel and Orange streets. The rumor spread rapidly to all parts of the city, and the police office was besieged last evening by persons asking if the rumor was true, and, if so, what bank had been robbed.
 At the police office it was said that the police had no knowledge of any bank robbery having been committed,
 Sergeant Crocker, at police headquar-
 
 had been pouring in from all parts of the city asking if the rumor were true, and all 1nquirers were told that the po- lice had no knowledge of anything of the sort
 Numbers of citizens who had heard of the alleged robbery congregated at the corner of Chapel and Orange streets last evening to look at the three banks on those corners and see if there were any evidences of any of the banks hav- ing been attacked by robbers.
 The rumor soon reached the officials of the banks located at or near the corner of Orange and Chapel streets, and brought some of them to the scene to investigate the interiors of their banking rooms.
 President W. F. Day of the National New Haven bank and his son, Osborn Day, came down and found that bank all right. President Fields of the Ma tional Tradesmen's bank, being asked, said that there were no indications of his bank having been visited by rob bers General Merwin of the Yale Na- tional bank reported everything safe and secure at that institution. Charles Curtis, assistant cashier of the City bank, came down to the bank and found everything all right
 When the bank watchmen came on duty last night they found everything safe. Bank Watchman Cook, with Off, ficer Moore, entered the City bank and found no trace of anything having been disturbed, not even the dust in unused recesses in out-of- tle-way places being displaced. ....
 Manager Harris of the Western Union, who has charge of the secret signals and robber alarms of the banks, heard the rumor yesterday afternoon and after making an inspection of the signals said that they indicated noth- ing unusual.
 Ex-City Auditor Mccarthy and MT. Phelps, the photographer, were among those who heard the rumor and they were with the scores of other citizens who were making inquiries of the po- lice or looking at the banks last even ing to see if they could discern any evil dences of work done by robbers. In- quiries continued to pour into police headquarters up to a late hour last night.
 Officers Moore and Donnelly, who
 
 corner of Orange and Chapel streets, report that everything was quiet in that vicinity Saturday night, and scout the idea of any robbery having taken place. Officer Cooney, who was at the corner of Chapel and State streets, says that he noticed nothing unusual about. any of the banks Saturday night. On the whole, it is evident that no bank robbery was committed. and where the rumor originated is mystery. It was said last night, however, that a man from Boston started the story It is said that certain well known New Haven man had gone on business to the Union station last evening and that while at the station he saw a gentle man from Boston who had alighted from the train. The gentleman asked him if he knew that a New Haven bank had been robbed Saturday night, saying that he had heard that a bank at the corner of Chapel and Orange streets. in this city, had been robbed. The New Haven gentleman began to make inquiries and it is said that from this the rumor arose.