The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-27
LoNpoN's BANK ROBBERY.
Things That Made The Stolen Notes Hard
Tn Pass


to Pass.
A special correspondence to the New
York Sun from London says the dar-
ing, clever bank robber so seldom at
tempts to operate in workaday, modei n
London that the metropolis fees
grateful admiration for the impudent
rascal who walked off with $4,000 in
cold cash from the cashiers drawer in
PARIS bank last Monday. It was really
a handsome, though unattended compli-
ment which the police and public
promptly paid to traGsatlant smart
ness when they assumed at once that
nobody but an American would have
dared to attempt so bold a crime" It
was rather disappointing, therefore, to
find, as now proves the case, that a con-
federate, if not the thief himself, must
have been clerk in the bank. A great,
romantic robbery is thus reduced to a
vulgar theft, which has only the size
of the booty to raise it above an ordi-
nary embezzlement.
The feature Of the affair which will
attract American attention more than
any other is The fact that the greater
part of the stolen money was made use
less to the thieves by the system which
renders English bank notes traceable
by their numbers. Every English bank
keeps a careful record of every bank
note which passes through its hands.
If you cash a check at an English bank
the teller will make memorandum in
book kept for the purpose, of the num-
Der and denomination of every bank
note before he hands it over the coun-
ter. If you tender bank note in pay
ment of a telegram or postage stamps
a mn ct WITT
name and address upon the back there
of before 1t will be accepted. 1t
should be borne in mind that there are
no notes of smaller denomination than
G5 or 925 approximately, so that these
precautions are not SO irltsome as they
would be with paper money in the Uni
ted States. Furthermore, the English
bank notes are twice the size of the
American. are white and always clean
and have no printing or engraving ex-
eept upon the face.
1t Is not possible, however, to stop
payment upon an English bank note
The Bank of England must pay cash
upon demand without any demur, even
If 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 course would probably
be followed if 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 repented of. 1t was in the
early days of the bank. and the amount
involved was 100000. The notes were
presented by man, whose assertion
that he had bought them was not dis
puted, and whose personal integrity was
above suspicion. They had, however,
undoubtedly been stolen, and on that
ground the bank refused to pay the
money. The man wen& out into the city
and began to spread it abroad That the
bank was shaky and could not cash his
notes, and as he backed his assertions
by displaying his indsputable paper the
assertion would have in all probability
soon have caused a run on the bank,
and in few minutes messenger came
to say that the notes would be cashel
If he would present them again.
The loss or destruction of it's notes is,
however, an important source of profit
to the Bank of England. The figures
have not been printed during recent
years, but during the 40 years previous
to 1882 1t amounted to no less a sum
than S6.5000G0 1t was no great hard
the bank was compelled to pay the sum
of $150,o00 twice over Many years age
a bank director lost q note for ESQ, 900
But as he was man of 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 been dead, the paper
was presented. 1t was payable on de.
mand and had come from abroad in the
lN,,es I.
it represented had to be handed over
and as the indemnity that had beer
given was repudiated by the heirs OF
the man who had given it, and for some
reason could not be enforced, the bank
on that occasion had to put 100000 or
the debit side of the account For once
in way it paid double honor to BIZ
of its own paper
The bank will always honor a proved
demand, based upon the destruction OIL
its notes by fire, wreck or other acct
dent. In case of theft, like that OF
PARIS bank. it makes special arrange
ments. Before the return of e40,0oC
of the stolen notes on Tuesday, the
Bank of England directors had offered
to invest lie missing amount, $685. SOC
in consois, paying the interest thereon
to PARIS bank, and after series OF
years. if the notes had not been pre-
sented,t turn over the principal under
guarantee to the despoiled bank. This
offer was made on account of the eX-
IRENE improbability of the notes, es.
pecially those of large denominations
ever being presented for payment
There have been several instances OF
stolen notes of the denomination OF
E1,O0O being presented by honest hol-
ders. and that, too, without any trace
of the thieves being found. The most
recent case was that of a bookmaker
on a Paris race course. who accepted a
G1000 bank note and Of course 1t was
cashed by the bank. In view of the
well known fact that there is a ready
market in Amsterdam for stolen jewels
to any amount, it is curious that there
should not be fences" on the continent
for so easily negotiable securities as
English bank notes.