Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1878 — STUPENDOUS BANK ROBBERY. [ARTICLE]

STUPENDOUS BANK ROBBERY.

The Manhattan Savings Bank, of New York, Completely Cleaned Out—Three and a Half Million Dollars in Securities Carried Away. From a New York paper we glean the following particulars of the daring burglary committed upon the Manhattan Savings Bank, of that city, by which the robbers secured about $3,500,000 in Government bonds and other securities: The bank building is six stories in height; the bank is on the first floor. On the extreme northern side is a door and hallway leading to the upper floors. This extends bnt half way down the building, making the shape of the bank-ing-room irregular on that side. Into the -wall of the latter, beneath this staircase, is an iron safe for unimportant books and papers. The main entrance is on Broadway. On Bleecker street is the second entrance, with a storm-shed in front. The building at the eastern comer is cut off from top to bottom by a wall designed to furnish light and air. A continuation of the stout brick w’all of this well parallel with Bleecker street divides the room, forming a recess on its south side, part ’of whiclr is taken up by a magnificent iron vault about thirteen feet long,, eight feet broad,-and eight feet in height, which cost $40,000. The vault faces Broadway, and has double doors opening outward. On it is a large clock, which can be plainly seen from either street. Behind this vault is a room for the Directors, and on the north side of the dividing wall is the President’s private office. In the rear of the Directors’ room, entirely separate from the banking office, is a hallway and staircase leading to the upper floors, with the entrance door on Bleecker street. The St. Charles Hotel flanks the building on the north, and a chop-house on the east. It is strange that nobody in these places saw what was being done in plain sight of either street. In the room just over the President’s room live the janitor, Louis Werckle, his wife, and mother-in-law. To reach these rooms it is necessary to enter by the rear Bleecker street door. The adjoining room has been occupied for the past five weeks by a mysterious Frenchman, supposed to be a manufacturer of artificial flowers, whose name the police refuse to disclose, and the inmates of the building, including the bank officers, pretend not to know.

Louis Werckle, the janitor, is a little old man of no physical strength, and apparently less courage, He has been over twenty years in the employ of the bank, and was implicitly trusted. The bank employs as night watchman Daniel Haley, a brawny Irishman. He went on duty at 6 o’clock Saturday evening, locked himself inside the bank, and remained on watch all night. At 6 o’clock in the morning he went out the Bleecker street entrance, locking the door’ behind him, and proceeded up stairs to Werckle’s apartments, shutting the street door, which closes with a cu+‘h. He rapped with his club on Werckle’s sitting-room door to wake him, and, having heard his response, passed down stairs and out, shutting the street door behind him. He walked to the corner of Broadway and stood there ten minutes. He then went home.

At that time, so far as he knew, the bank was all right. He saw no suspicious or other persons about. Werckle says he was awakened by the watchman as usual at 6 o’clock, Haley rapping on his door. He began to dress, ami, as he was drawing on his pantaloons, the door of his sitting-room opened suddenly, and seven or eight masked men walked in. They seized and handcuffed Werckle aud his wife, and tied his mother-in-law in a sheet. The women cried out, but Werckle told them the robbers would kill them unless they kept quiet, and. they subsided. Gue of the men took Werckle’s keys from him, and another put a revolver to his head and told him to give up the combination. He said he didn’t have it. “You lie, you —. You open the vault every morning. Give it up or I’ll blow your brains out.” Werckle says he urged that if ho told them they could not turn the knob, but they again threatened him, and he gave them the combination. Three of the gang then remained to guard the prisoners, and the rest went down stairs. After a long while, during which Werckle heard them pounding, one or tw r o of the gang came up and whispered to the guards, and all left together. Werckle soon after went out, and, seeing no one about, gave the alarm. Mrs; Werckle corroborates this story, only she saw but five men. They wore white handkerchiefs below the masks. Those who guarded her told her not to fear, as she would not be harmed. The handcuffs were removed from her by Officer Kennedy, who was first to arrive. She was too terrified to notice closely the men’s clothes or appearance. It is thought that from the depositors’ boxes the burglars got not less than $1,000,000 in bonds and securities. About forty boxes were rifled. Out of the $3,500,000 but SII,OOO in cash was obtained.

Following is a list of the stolen securities: United States 5s of 1881, registered, eight of $50,000 each, Nos. 165, 166, 643 to 646, 737 and 738; ten of SIO,OOO, Nos. 13,486 to 13,495, inclusive; total, $500,000. United States 6s of 1881, registered, twenty of SIO,OOO each, Nos. 9,276 to 9,295, inclusive; total, $200,000. United States 10-40 bonds, registered, sixty of SIO,OOO each, Nos. 8,744 to 3,763, and 18,903 to 18,942, inclusive; total, $600,000. United States 4 per cents., registered, thirty of SIO,OOO each, Nos. 1,971 to 2,000, inclusive; total, $300,000. United States 5-20 s of July, 1865, $48,000; twenty-six of SSOO, Nos. 820,067, 82,144,82,145,84,903, 85,046,85,107, 86,080, 86,943, 87,475, 89,707, 89,728, 90,319, 90,419, 93,043, 93,170, 94,577, 97,928, 97,933, 99,570, 99,876, 101,110, 102,792, 102,908, 103,421, 105,099 and 106,030; twenty-five of SI,OOO, Nos. 152,410, 152,411, 153,986, 154,410, 157,844, 161,662, 163,159, 165,120, 165,167, 166,794, 166,821, 169,044, 169,747, 171,959, 172,543, 172,544, 173,052, 173,784, 173,785, 175,642, 178,050, 184,791, 187,141, 194,439, 194,597, 194,742, 199,678, 202,291, 202,897, 207,095, 208,069, 208,746, 208,828, 209,419 and 210,686. Thirty-five thousand dollars, New York State sinking fund gold 6s, registered, No. 32. Thirty thousand dollars, New York City Central Park fund stock, certificate No. 724, registered. Twenty-two thousand seven hundred

dollars, New York County Court House stock, No. 2. Six per cents, registered certificates, No. 4, $10,000; certificate No. 23, $35,000; certificate No. 24, $5,000; certificate No. 32, $10,000; certificate, No. 39, $95,008; total, $202,000. New York city accumulated 7 per cent, bonds, registered, two of SIOO,OOO each, Nos. 1 and 2, due 1886. One of $50,000, No. 1, due 1887. New York city improvement stock 7 per cent., registered, ten certificates of $20,000 each, No. Ito 10 inclusive; total, $200,000. New York city revenue bond, registered, $200,000. Yonkers city 7 per cent, bonds, 118 of SI,OOO each, Nos. 233 to 242, 251 to 278, 281 to 310, 311 to 340, and 531 to 550, all inclusive, SIIB,OOO. Brooklyn city water-loan coupon bonds, twenty-five of SI,OOO each, Nos. 2,167 to 2,19 i, inclusive, $25,000. East Charleston bonds, fifty of SI,OOO, Nos. 27 to 75, inclusive, $50,000.