One of the largest "sneak" robberies ever committed in the United
States occurred late in the sixties, and has always been referred to
as the "Lord bond robbery." Lord was a wealthy man, and had an office
at 22 Broad street, New York City. He had invested $1,200,000 in 7-30
United States bonds, all being coupon bonds, payable to bearer, which
any one with a knowledge of finance could easily dispose of at this
time. A band of "sneak" thieves, consisting of "Hod" Ennis, Charlie
Ross, Jimmie Griffin and "Piano" Charlie Bullard, planned to steal
these bonds.
Awaiting their opportunity until a morning arrived when Mr. Lord was
absent from his office, they entered it when it was in charge of only
two clerks.
Bullard and Ross engaged these clerks in conversation, while Ennis
"sneaked" into the vault, seized the tin box containing the bonds,
and walked out with it. While these thieves were expert in their
particular line, they did not fully understand the negotiating of the
bonds, and for this called in George Bidwell, since renowned as the
Bank of England forger, who went to England and disposed of a large
part of them. The thieves were at the time suspected, and Ennis fled
to Canada, but was subsequently extradited to the United States and
convicted of a crime committed some time before. He was sentenced
to a long term of imprisonment. Charlie Bullard settled in Paris,
but afterward returned to the United States, and with Adam Worth,
successfully committed the Boylston Bank robbery, after which both
returned to Paris and opened the celebrated American bar under the
Grand Hotel, 2 Rue Scribe, which flourished for many years. Bullard
afterward was arrested for an attempted bank burglary in Belgium, and
was sentenced to prison for a long term. Bullard, Ross, Ennis and
Worth all stole millions of dollars in their day and died poor.
[Illustration: BLIND.