The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-26


The Traders bank like others has had
TO guard against the Vaccinations OF
forgers, safe crackers and criminals OF
that ilk, but has mover suffered loss ct
their hands. There is an event In It's
history, however, which at the time OF
its occurrence created sensation IN the
community, echoes Of which have BEEN
heard even quite recently when Congress
has voted to indemnify persons for bonds
stolen from the hanks vault and never
presented for redemption. The robbery
OF the Traders bank has always been
something of a mystery, but the police
had at the time very probable solution
of it based upon attending circumstances
and conditions.
This robbery took place on the 18th of
January, 1865, and 1t was pretty big one
for those days, the total amount taken
being SA7, 600. The bank had in its vault
Ut the time about $4,000 United States
bonds. some OF which were deposited for
safe.keeping, and valuable jewelry be-
longing to the wife of a druggist which
had been left there for the same purpose.
On Monday morning Cashier knight, Just
before the beginning OF banking hours
tried to open the safe, but could not do
so. Repeated attempts met with no bet
ter success and finally Ii was found neces-
sary to engage the services of an expert.
This expert after q careful examination.
said the safe bad been opened some time
on Saturday or Sunday and the combina-
tion changed. He succeeded, however.
in getting the door open and then II was
discovered that everything OF value the
safe contained had been taken. Further in
vestigation was there begun and an expert
locks was summoned from Boston.
He examined very carefully all the locks
on the doors of the banking rooms and
gave IL as his opinion that the doors had
not been opened by a false key, but by
the regular one, as there was neither
scratch nor mar on the inside OF the
locks. -
This discovery at once directed suspic-
ion TO one of the employees OF the bank.
j. Crawford Potter, now the veteran dog
officer, was then doing detective duty and
he made thorough search OF the bank
ing rooms. In the course OF this he found
several bags OF spscie which had been
taken from the safe and secreted under
piles of old newspapers. 1t was thought
the robber had placed them there with
the intention of returning for them
when a favorable opportunity, presented
itself, so MIR. Potter and MIR. Z. q.
Chaffee remained In the bank seve-
raj nights in the hope OF capturing
the robber when he returned for the re.
mainder OF his plunder. But no one came
and the watching and waiting, was even
tually given up. In the meantime an
effort had been made to apprehend the
bank employee against whom suspicion
pointed, but he escaped the officer sent
to arrest him and was never afterward
captured. The only part of the contents
of the safe recovered were the bHgs or
specie found hidden under the papers, and
those aggregated about $1,000. AS the
specie had been in the safe for six months
or more IL was the theory of the place
that 1t had been carried of from iimo to
time until nearly all was gone and that
the thief had tnen taken what other prop
erty there remained and changed the COM
bination SO as to make 1t appear that the
whole had been taken in single robbery.