TREMENDOUS BANK ROBBERY ATTEMPTED.

Patea Mail, Volume 1, Issue 30, 24 July 1875, Page 3

TREMENDOUS BANK ROBBERY ATTEMPTED.

The boldest and most snccossfully planned attempt to rob a bank ever made in tliis section of the country was discovered in the First National Bank of Covington,

Ky., across the Ohio river from this city, this morning. The bank is situated on the corner of Fifth and Madison streets, under the Odd Fellows’ Hall, which occupies the entire second storey of the building. The burglars forged the keys : to open the doors to the hall, and removed the flooring above the bank vault, which was covered with a concrete of bricks, cement, and plates of boiler iron, in all over three feet thick. This work must 1 have occupied several nights hut the final plate was not cut through till last night. The burglars used a powerful pneumatic engine to drive the drills, of which they were supplied with several dozen, of all 1 sizes, from those used by watchmakers and dentists to the largest calibre. They worked under the safeguard of a lookout man, who occupied a station across the street from the bank and communicated with his “ pals ” by a cord laid like , a telegraph wire between the ceiling and floor of the bank and hall above. They had rope ladders prepared and attached to the extensive hack windows of the hall to facilitate escape in. case of being cut off at the front. They had finely tempered wedges of all sizes and Jeaden mallets ■ to drive them between the. doors, of the safe, and after reaching the interior of the vault in which the „ burglar-proof safe containing the treasure Was kept, they encountered the first serious opposition. Here their skill and ingenuity were put to the severest test, for they could not have commenced final operations till two or three o’clock this morning, as the hall was occupied by the lodge till : long after one . o’clock. The drills and wedges were used on the Safe, and four cans of powder containing one pound each were used ip the effort to blow it open. The rivets were sprung and the seams all started. Terrific explosions were heard during the night, but the cause was not suspected, was any discovery made until the ■Bank was opened for business this morning. All the plaster had fallen from the ceiling by the force of the concussion, an 1 the entire out-fit of the burglars was found, indicating a precipitate flight just on the verge of a tremendous success, for a few more blasts would have burst the safe, and the millions it contained would have been left bare to the eager

clutch of the gang. The safe contained a largo number of private deposits of bonds and considerable specie, besides the large funds of the bank, which the officers will not enumerate now that they have (‘scaped the tremendous loss. The treasure was only reached to-night by experts from the manufactories of the city, as the safe was so twisted by the blasts as to defy opening by the lock. The burglars’ outfit of tools and apparatus is valued at 1,000 dols.