The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
BANK ROBBERY.
THINGS THAT MADE the sToLEy
VOTES HARD TO

, PouIett and His CbRnces-The New Lib
sraJL.sader-Mr. Rbodes's Proposed Hail
way In Africa-sudei mknn's Ne.Y PIny
LONDON. Jan. 2S.-The daring, clever banE
robber so seldom attempts 20 opernte In work
aday. modern London that the metropolis feels
n grateful admiration for the impudent rascal
who walked on with $500. 900 in cold cash from
the cashiers draw In PARIS Bank last Monday.
1t was really a handsome. though unintende ed
compliment which the police and public
promptly paid to transatlantic smartness when
they assumed at once that nobody but an
AnisrcAn would have dared 10 attempt so bold
acrime." II was rather disappointing. there
fore, to ind. as now proves 20 be the case. that
a confederate. II not the thief himself. must
have been n clerk in the bank. A great. ro-
mantle robbery Is thus reduced TO q vulgar
theft. which has only the size OF the booty to
raise Il above an ordinary embeZZlement.
The feature OF the affair which will attract
American attention moro than any other is
the fact that the greater part OF the stolen
money was made useless to the thieves by the
system. which renders English bank notes
traccable by their numbers Every English
bank keeps n careful record OF every bank
note which passes through its hands. II you
cash a check at an English bank the teller will
make a memorandum. in a book kept for the
purpose, Of the number and denomination OF
every bank note before he hands 1t over the
counter. II you tender a bank note In pay
ment Of a telegram or postage stamps at any
Post ONCE you must write your name and adj
dress upon the back thereof before IL will be
accepted. II should be borne in mind that
there are no notes Of a smaller denomina-
tidn than 60. or So approximately, so
that these precautions are not 80 irk-
some as they. would be with paper money
IN the United States. Furthermore. the
English bank notes are twice the size OF the
American. are white and always clean and have
no printing or engraving except upon the face.
II is not possible. however, to stop payment
upon anEnglish bank note. The Bank Of Eng
land must pay cash on demand without any
demur. even II it knows the note to have been
stolen. The bank may. Of course. but at its
own risk. give the holder OF a stolen note into
custody on suspicion Of being a thief. and such
n course would probably be followed IL one OF
the notes stolen from PARIS Bank last Monday
should be presented for payment. Once. and
once only. has the Bank of England refused to
cash its notes because they had been stolen.
and in that case the refusal was speedily re-
pepted Of. 1t was in the early days OF the bank.
and the amount involved was 100000. The
notes were presented by a man. whose asser-
tion that he had bought thoD was not dis
ruted, and whose personal integrity was above
suspicion. They had. however. undoubtedly
been stolen. and on that ground the bank re-
fused to nay the money. The man went out
into the city and began TO spread it abroad that
the bank was shaky and couldn't cash his notes.
and as he backed his assertion by displaying
his indisputable paper the assertion would in
all probability soon have caused a run on the
bank. and in n few minutes a messenger came
10 say that the notes would be cashed IL he
would present them again.
The loss or destruction Of it's notes is. how
ever, an important source OF profit to the Bank
a -. MI n-.--
during recent years. but during the forty years
previous to 1892 it amounted TO no less a sum
than SG5uu.O0U. 1t was no great hardship.
Therefore. that on one occasion the bank was
compelled to pay the sum of S150,OOO twice
over. Many years ago a bank director lost
n note for 100000. But. as he was p
man O. credit. and as there was no
doubt about the loss Of the bill. he gave
the usual indemnity and got the money.
Many years after. when the man had long boen
dead, the paper was presented. 1t was payable
on demand and had come, from abroad In the
ordinary way Of business. and the sum it rep
resented had to be handed over. and as the in
demnitv that Ind been given was repudiated by
the heirs OF the man who had given il. and for
Eome reason could not he enforced. the bank
on that occasion lad to put 100000 on the
debit side of the account. For once in a way
II paid double honor to a bit Of it's own paper.
~ 'hhN van ''""FS h'll' Il l'N' wv
mand, based upon the destruction Of It's notes
by fire. wreck or other accident. In case Of
THEFT ike that at PARIS Bank. II makes special
arrangements. Before the return of f40,OOO
of the stolen notes on Thursday. the Bank Of
England directors had offered to invest the
missing amount. E6O,GOO in .~consols. paving
the interest thereon to PARIS Bank. and after
q series Of years. if the notes, had not been
presented. to turn over the PRINCIPAL under
RUArNntnp to thp 1egpOilp6 hank This OMar
was made on account OF the extreme improba-
hiity Of the notes. especially those of large
denominations ever being presented for pay
ment, There have been several instances OF
stolen notes of the denomination Of 81, 600
being presented by honest holders. and that,
too, without any trace OF the thieves being
found. The most recent case was that of n
hookmaker on n Paris racecourse. who ac-
cepted n 81 900 bank note and OF course 1t was
cashed by the bank. In view of the we'll
known fact that there is n ready market in
Amsterdam for stolen jewels to any amount.
IT is curious that there should not be fences"
on tho Continent for so easily negotiable Sc
curHies as English bank notes.
The sixth Earl Poulctt was buried on Thurs
day in the family vault at Hinton st. George.
IN Sonlersetshire. among mobiles and knights
Of his name whose tombs date back for five
centuries. There are inscriptions OF Pouletts
who fought as knights in tho wars OF the roses:
there is the Poulett who had the custody OF
Mary Queen OF Scots at Fotheringay Castle
and had a poem written in his honor by Queen
Elizabeth; there is the Poulett who put Car
dinal Wolsey when a young man into the stocks
for drinking. and there is the record OF num- ;
berless soldier and sailor Pouletts who de-
served well Of their country. Who is to be the
seventh Earl. to rest when his time comes with
this ancient company? ,
In that question Is the whole Poulett peerage
romance, There are two claimants. Each has {
been styled VIscount Hinton. the courtesy title
of the oldest son and heir of an Earl Poulctt. ,
ohcis a boy now is years old. the son OF the I
sixth Earl by his third wife. There Is no mys- s
terry surrounding his origin. He Is the son that s
the dead Earl ordcntly wished TO succeed him I
I'm the title and estates. But there is another :
Viscoult Hinton. and the secret Of his birth is |
truly a wonderful tale. The late Earl while he '
was stlll Lieut.. Poulett, an officer In an infan- d
Try regiment. married Elizabeth Newman .