 The Northampton Bank in 1876 | |
| Date | January 26, 1876 |
|---|---|
| Location | Northampton National Bank, Northampton, Massachusetts |
| Perpetrator | Rufus Gang |
| Participants | 8 |
| Outcome | Bank robbery of $1.6 million |
42°19′8″N 72°37′52″W / 42.31889°N 72.63111°W
On January 26, 1876, the Northampton Bank in Northampton, Massachusetts, was robbed of $1.6 million ($26 million in 2019) in cash, bonds, and other securities by the Rufus Gang, which was led by Thomas Dunlap, Robert Scott, and George Leonidas Leslie. Leslie planned the robbery, but did not participate physically. It was the largest bank robbery in U.S. history at the time. 75 depositors lost their money.
In 1874, the bank hired safe manufacturer Herring & Co. to install a new lock on the vault. Herring & Co. sent William Edson, a bank robber and traveling sales agent for the company. In 1875, he copied the key to the vault and to the bank and gave them to the Rufus Gang. On the night of the robbery, they got the safe combination from the bank's cashier, Mr. Whittlesey, whom they tortured at his house until he gave it up.
After the robbery, Leslie cut ties with Dunlap and Scott over their use of violence, which was not a part of his plan. Edson was caught, and was freed after turning state's evidence. Dunlap, Scott, and member Billy Connors were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Scott eventually returned the securities to the bank in an unsuccessful attempt at gaining leniency. Leslie was not implicated until the investigation into the Manhattan robbery, but he was never convicted.