Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-11

hOlSe
Jobn McArthur's store while Williams
and Stanley were tearing down the ola
building and the new one was pelhS
h,,;,+ This new building was the stan
lev house and in it the Augusta BARK
was provided with vaults and rooms.
These were finished and the bank
moved into Them December 80, 1S4S
The vault was of brick laid in cement
and had an iron door taken from the
vault of the old building, which had
stood the test for a third of century
Within the vault was new and secure
burglar proof safe, manufactured ex-
pressedly for the bank. The Stanley
house was unoccupied and unfinished /
at the time.
The officers of the bank were con-
graduating themselves upon the con-
venience and security of the new bank
ing house when, on Monday the 1st day
of January, 1S49, the cashier opened the
bank and swung back the heavy iron
UOOr OF the vault. IAc NiSSoNSiSN
hole in the west end of the vault large |
enough to admit person, opening into
an apartment in the Stanley house. |
The feelings arising from this discov-
erv were fast subsiding upon finding
the safe locked and uninjured. but
great was his establishment upon I'M
60 typI III.
specie, to a large amount gone. He
hastily closed the safe and vault, and
notified the directors who assembled
and ascertained that the bank had
been robbed of about $500 % which
$2l. 500 was in specie in boxes ana bags.
Upon examining the rear Of the
building on Commercial street, it was
found that the burglars had entered
through the basement window on that
street. near which was found a box and
loose specie on the snow where prot
ably a bag had burst scattering its
contents. AS the affair got abroad the
excitement which naturally arose from
the loss of SO large a sum Of money
was increased by the myster- that
hung about it. The safe could Only
have been opened by duplicate key
made with the skill and accuracy re-
quired for the original.
The boldness and success o. the
operation: the difficulty in secreting sol
large a sum in specie; the large re-
ward offered for the detection of the
thieves and the return of the MONEY
the organized efforts of the banks and
the citizens in the search, made dAtec-
tion very possible thing. Two young
men, one of whom had been stopping al
the Cushnoc house ana the other at
Woodsom's tavern, both apparently
without business were suspected. They
afterwards proved to be brothers under
assumed names. The youngest. at the
| Cushnoc. hired horse and sleigh, sat
urday night, December 80, and took his
brother at Woodsoms with the purpose
of going to Gardiner. Instead Of doing
this they went to Josslyn's tavern and
put up their horse at O'Clock They
then absented themselves until 81
o'clock when again taking their horse
they went to the Augusta house. where
it was put up until II o'clock. At t..is
time they again called for him and
went to Gardiner where they arrived at
the Cobbossee house between ana
o'clock in the morning, having left
their horse at livery stable. They re-
manned in a private room at the motel
until 9 o'clock, the next morning. when
the younger brother returned with !
sleigh to the Cushnoc while The older
one left on the o'clock stage for Port
land, taking valise and carpet bag
said to be very heavy.
The younger one was now arrested.
and messengers despatched to anne
bend the other one who could no. ha1,
taken any considerable amount of The |
specie. The most diligent search. how |
SNci, u reveal any trace If the |
money. The younger brother refused |
to divulge anything. Had they accom-
plices? 1t was thought they must have |
mad assistance in removing the specie. !
which could not weigh less than go |
pounds. But no accomplices could be |
discovered. At length a detectivenamed |
Nichols of Cambridge. Mass. was sent
for. He arrived on Thursday and went |
at once to the prisoners cell. At once |
he recognized Edward Wingate. a youth |
of IS of Charleston. Mass, and a broth |
er of Frederick Augustus Wingate. a |
young man of 90 years who had been
in custody of Nichols in that State. |
The identity Of the prisoner was i'm
portant as a pair of trousers with his |
name upon them was found buried in |
the snow at the side of the road be |
tween Augusta and Hallowell They |
We're soied as though they had been
dragged through some aperture of |
brick and mortar Nichols could OBJ |