Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1879 — OUT AT LAST. [ARTICLE]

OUT AT LAST.

The Story of the Manhattan Bank Bobbery, as Told by One of the Perpetrators- ConlcsHion of a Night Watchman. New York, Jnne 1. The whole story of the Manhattan Savings Bank burglary is at last out, through the confession of one of the burglars. Saturday night Capt. Byrnes and his detectives arrested Henry Glenn, Patrick Slevin and William Kellv, on a charge of being implicated in the robbery, whereby money and securities worth nearly $3,000,000 were stolen on the night of the 27th of October, 1878. One of them has confessed the whole plot to Capt. Byrnes. A burglar known as Little Tracey first concocted the scheme, and organized a band to rob the bank. It was broken up, however, by, the arrest and conviction of most of the members of the gang for other crimes. Then he organized a second gang, in which were Jimmie Hope, George Howard, John Dobbs, Jim Brady and others. They also bad in league with them a man employed as watchman at odd hours in the bank. Two attempts were made bv this gang to rob the bank, but each failed through the inability of the watchman to meet his engagements. This gang also broke up. But Hope, thoroughly convinced of the feasibility of his scheme, lost no time in reorganizing his forces. Dobbs (“Big Kid”), who was “on foot” again, and others equally skilled and desperate, joined him, and work began in earnest. On Sunday morning, when the friendly watchman was on duty in the bank, Hope was let into the building, and used his opportunity to thoroughly examine the vaults. The next Sunday he returned, and taught the watchman how to use wax in taking an impression of the keyhole. The watchman (Patrick Slevin) was an apt scholar, and soon returned the lump which the burglar had brought, with an impression from which the latter was able to make a key for the outer street-door on Bleecker street, which was fotlnd to fit, and was put by fqr use. This attempt also failed for want of time, but an entrance to the vault containing the safes was effected. Eight moiups later negotiations wjsre again*-opened with Watchman SlevfrE Finally the job was put up Ter Sunday morning, the 27th of October, ana in it were Jimmy Hope, Kelly and Dobbs, together with the night-watch-man, Slevin. It was thought Slevin would have charge of the bank that night, but an accident frustrated it. The gang resolved, however, to carry out their plans after the night-watch-man had left and when the day-watch-man came on. How well it was carried out every one knows, and nearly $3,000,000 were carried away. Kelly stood guard over the manacled janitor. He gave them the combination to the ■ safe, being in mortal terror of his life. The detectives went hard to work, and, after a long search. John Dobbs and the younger Hope were arrested. Watchman Slevin was shadowed early and late, and was found drinking hard and spending money lavishly. He was arrested a few days ago, and finally confessed the whole plot to Capt. ByrneS, and Kelly was arrested on his return from Jerome Park. Slevin says each member of the gang was assessed S6OO, after getting their money share, which was sent to Washington.to defeat the bill introduced in Congress to duplicate the stolen bonds, as, if it passed, it would "be difficult to negotiate the originals. Meanwhile, the various town bonds stolen were negotiated, and Slevin got $2,000 as his share therefrom, and Jimmy Hope went to Washington to have the bill stopped. Kelly, when arrested, denied his guilt, but, when eOrUranted with Slevin, he burst into a fit of swearing, and said: “The bank has to pay a dividend bn June 1, and, to do it, will have to come to terms and settle with us.”

There are three more members of the gang yet at large, but they are known and will soon be arrested. The trial of the younger Hope begins Wednesday ■ ■ -ra • tei Only a little while, vain man, only! a little while, and when you come home from the office at even pr noon, the wife of yodr bosom will meet you at the door with an anxious look in her eye and a fly brush or an apron in her hand. She will hold the door open just three inches for you to crowd yourself through, and as you make hopeless efforts to sidle in through that space, above your head and under your feet and around your legs that fly brush will whirl and nestle like a restless meteor, and when you finally crowd iii and two flies follow you, ' the goddess of your home will bang the door and weep, and say that she can gt) In,and out of that door fifty times a day] and never pass a fly inside, while you can’t come into the house without bringing millions of thens in with you., It is hard, poor man, we know; it isn’t fair on you, and it isn’t just, but it’s got to come, and you might just as well make up your mind to stand it. — Burlington Hawk-Eye. A man who cannot even write his own name can put his money in a savings brnik, by a wise provision which allows the witnessing of a cross mark, and his chances for getting it back again are just as good as if Jie had been in .Q, Picayune. It is better to be the Czar, when he js shot at, than the crowd.—DerrtcA.