The Underground World: A mirror of life below the surfaceKnox, Thomas Wallace
History
The Underground World: A mirror of life below the surface
Knox, Thomas Wallace
Caves; Mines and mineral resources; Social history -- 19th century; Tunnels
The boxes of the depositors appeared to be the principal attraction
for the thieves, and paper securities were preferred to the gold which
stared them in the face. These boxes were completely overhauled,
and securities to the amount of about five hundred thousand dollars
were abstracted; one depositor having lost as much as fifty thousand
dollars, for which the bank was in no way responsible.
About thirty thousand dollars belonging to the bank, in checks and
currency, were stolen. The thieves overhauled some thirty thousand
dollars in Clearing House currency, which could have been negotiated,
as well as thirty thousand dollars in gold coin; but which they did
not touch.
The detectives went to work, and it was said that one or more of the
bank’s officials were suspected, and closely watched for some time
subsequent to the robbery. Two men, who were said to be the most
daring and accomplished bank thieves in the city, were suspected;
but no trace could be obtained of their having been seen near the
Ocean Bank. These men were supposed to have committed a robbery, just
previously, at the National Bank of New Windsor, of something like one
hundred thousand dollars. A number of expert English burglars had also
arrived a short time before the robbery, but nothing could be brought
against them.
On the third day after the burglary, a patrolman, in Elizabeth Street,
about three o’clock A. M., met two young lads whom he knew. Suspecting
they were up for no good at that hour of the morning, he spoke to
them. They informed him that there was a large trunk standing on
the sidewalk, opposite No. 8 Elizabeth Street. He went to the number
indicated, and there found the trunk, as they had described. On it was
a card directed to Captain Jourdan (late superintendent of police),
of the sixth ward. The trunk and the two boys were taken to the
station-house.
[Sidenote: SECURITIES RETURNED.]
When Captain Jourdan was summoned, and the trunk was opened, it was
found to contain unnegotiable securities, to the amount of three
hundred thousand dollars, which had been stolen from the Ocean Bank.
The property consisted of bonds, checks, securities, and currency,
together with legal documents, such as conveyances and mortgages; but
no clew could possibly be obtained as to the sender of the trunk.
The total loss sustained by the bank proved to be about twenty-five
thousand dollars, out of the bulk of the valuables and money stolen;
but as the property returned to Captain Jourdan principally belonged
to the depositors, their loss was estimated to be something near half
a million of dollars.
The various implements found at the bank were valued at two thousand
dollars, and were of the very finest finish; some of the pieces were
worth as much as two hundred dollars, and three hundred dollars each.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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