Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1878 — Big Bank Robberies of By-Gone Days. [ARTICLE]

Big Bank Robberies of By-Gone Days.

In 1870 a man dressed in the uniform of a police officer went into the Kensington Bank of Philadelphia, and said to the cashier: “ I am Lieut. ,of precinct. There’s a plan on foot to rob your bank to-night. I want you to have your watchman here and I will have my men to assist. Do not say a word, and by to-morrow the game will be bagged.” The cashier extended his hand and thanked the officer, and left all in his charge. The night came, and the Lieutenant with his men were admitted to the bank. There was a parley, and three of the officers and one watchman of the bank were detailed to take a walk to shadow some of the men outside. The watchman was sent flack after a certain time had elapsed, and when he returned he found his partner handcuffed and tied, the vaults open, and $500,000 in negotiable paper and money gone. When the cashier came around he found out that there had been a robbery, and then he suddenly remembered that he didn’t know the Lieutenant —didn’t even know his name. The trick was very clever, and the Kensington Bank never recovered a dollar. In 1872 three men went to the owner of the Third ' National Bank, in Baltimore, and hired a room adjoining the bank. “Gentlemen,” inquired one of the bank officers, “ what are you going to do with it ? ” “We are speculators now,” they said, “ and if we succeed in our business we think of opening a bank. The papers were made out, the rent paid, and business commenced. In two weeks they did open a bank—the Third National Bank, next door—by burrowing under the vault. They left the country with $400,000, not a dollar of which came back. The vault of the Ocean Bank, of New York, was opened by one man—Maximilian Shinburn, and robbed of $700,000. He frequented the bank until his acute ears learned by the peculiar click of the combination precisely bow to work it. And he made it, after listening for jflfiHilis, the very first time. He fled toifeelgium, where he purchased a title, and is mow living there as one of the ncjbility. About eight years ago several men hired a room under the Boylston Bank, of Boston, opened business as the trio did in Baltimore, and dug up into the vault at their leisure. The amount which they dug out was $850,000. The Beneficial Savings Fund, of Philadelphia, was robbed of $1,G00,000, a few years ago, by “bolding up” the cashier, who gave the combination. Every dollar of the amount was recovered by negotiation, and the cracksman retired on a competency. The Northumberland (Pa.) vaults gave up their treasures on account of a visit which masked men made to the cashier’s residence, where he kindly handed over the combination, and went to the bank with them, because he couldn’t help himself. The First National Bank, of Wilmington, Del., was entered, and the attempt to rob it was precisely the same as that worked on the Manhattan on last Sunday morning. The cracksmen went into the janitor’s room and gagged him and his family. An old woman crawled under the bed, but forgot to pull her heels in after her. One of the men dragged her out. A door chanced to be left open, and through it she sped like a greased arrow’. She w’as chased almost to the police station, and her flight saved the institution.