Western Mass History

Episode 4: The Great Northampton Bank Robbery


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In the early morning hours of January 26, 1876, seven masked men entered the home of John Whittelsey, cashier of the Northampton National Bank. They tied up the family and tortured Whittelsey for several hours, until he finally gave them the combinations to the bank vault. The men then cleaned out the vault, taking around $1.6 million in cash and securities, making it one of the largest bank robberies in 19th century America. This episode explores the identities of these men, how they pulled off the heist, and their eventual downfall after being betrayed by one of their own.

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Western Mass HistoryBy Western Mass History