The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-20
MURDER AND
Cashier of a Bank Killed at His Desk and
All the Cash Taken by Two Men, Who
EScQnA.

s~omersworth, N. H, April 1e.--While
resisting the entry of two desperate and
struggle to protect $50, 900 or more in
money and securities In the compartments
of the open vault of the Great Falls Ma
tional bank, of Somersworth, this after
noon, Cashie Joseph A. Stickney was
murdered near the desk which he had
occupied for years. After killing Stick
ney, the murderers ransacked the vault
and fed with all the cash it contained.
with the exception of a 5 gold piece. AS
near as can be estimated. about $1,000 was
taken, but it Is possible that the loss may
considerably exceed this sum, as no one
but the dead cashier knew the exact
amount that was in the institution at that
time. The robbers after knocking Stick
ney down with a black jack, cut his
throat. The most remarkable feature of
the robbery is the fact that 500, 900 in
bonds Of the United States, which were
vault and which the robbers examined
hastily, were not AIKEN. Neither was any
of the negotiable paper and securities of
the fact nothing is missing ex-
cept the cash.
No one was aware that there vas any
thing wrong at the bank until nearly 2
work was done. The perpetrators had
ample time to escape. THIS evening scores
of deputy sheriffs, marshals. police and
state and Maine. which from this city is
just across the Salmon Falls river. The
men made their visit to the bank at the
SIG l1Illc VI lHc d III LIE lOCdllly
where the bank is situated and so COM
pletely and thoroughly did they accom-
plish the robbery that only an uncertain
clue and a very meagre description of
them was O~btainable. Had the robbers
been apprehended soon after the murder
and robbery became public, it would have
been difficult to prevent a double lynch
ing in the Granite state. The murdered
man, in addition to his position as cashier
and director of the Great Falls bank, was
it's treasurer.
1t had always been customary for
Cashier Stickney and the bank clerk, Mrs.
Parker SwaZey, to close the bank at IL
o'clock and not reopen it until 2 o'clock.
The cashier. however. remained looking
over the banks accounts, and it is
thought he was preparing to go out when
the robbers entered.
1t is not known exactly what time the
bank was entered, but it was evidently
between / and lis o'clock, as two men,
strangers. were seen going up the hill
not very far from the bank at 1:20 O'Clock.
Mr.. Frank B. Reed, a local merchant.
was the first to discover the crime. He
ing at 2 O'Clock and found the tick plate
glass in the hall door of the bank COM
pletely shattered. He was considerably
alarmed, and without waiting to investi-
gate he hurried from the building and
notified City Marshal Eaton. The latter
responded at once. They broke in the
door and then found evidences of a des-
perate struggle. On the floor in a great
pool of blood was the lifeless body of
Stickney. His head had been nearly sew
cred from the body, the robbers having
cut his throat. The head was marked
with several deep gashes made by a heavy
black jack, and the skull was fractured.
The body was covered with blood and the
walls and furniture bore additional evil
dence of the terrible deed. Stickney had
died fighting desperately.