Link to REVISED entry on John Hope

DESCRIPTION. Thirty years old in 1886. Born in United States. Single. Stout build. Height, 5 feet 9 inches. Weight, 160 pounds. Brown hair, blue eyes, round face, light complexion. Scar about one inch long over left eyebrow.

RECORD. Johnny Hope is the son of old Jimmy Hope (20), the celebrated bank burglar, now in State prison at San Quintan, Cal, for burglary. He branched out as a pickpocket, and was arrested for that offense in New York City in 1877. He is known in several large cities in the United States, and is considered a clever burglar.

Hope was arrested in New York City on February i8, 1879, for the robbery of the Manhattan Savings Institution, corner Broadway and Bleecker Street, New York, which occurred on October 27, 1878. He was placed on trial in the Court of General Sessions on June 12, 1879. He was convicted, and sentenced to twenty years in State prison, for robbery in the first degree, on July 18, 1879. His case was appealed up to the highest court, and confirmed. He was taken from the Tombs prison in New York to Sing Sing prison on February 3, 1881.

The other parties implicated in this robbery were Patrick Shevelin, the watchman of the bank; William Kelly, old Jimmy Hope, Abe Coakley, Pete Emerson, alias Banjo Pete; John Nugent, and Eddie Gearing, alias Eddie Goodie. The following is a complete list of securities, etc., taken from the bank.

“THE MANHATTAN SAVINGS INSTITUTION was, on the morning of Sunday, October 27, 1878, robbed of securities to the amount of $2,747,700, of which $2,506,700 are registered in the name of the Institution, and are not negotiable, and $168,000 are made payable to it, and $73,000 are in coupon bonds and $11,000 in cash.

CHARLES F. ALVORD, Secretary. EDWARD SCHELL, President.

New York, October 27, 1878. THE STOLEN SECURITIES. The following is the statement prepared by the officials of their lost securities:

United States 5’s of 1881, registered — 8 of $50,000 each, Nos. 165, 166, 643 to 646, 737 and 738; 10 of $10,000, Nos. 13,486 to 13,495, inclusive $500,000 United States 6’s of 1881, registered — 20 of $10,000 each, Nos. 9,276 to 9,295, inclusive

200,000 United States 10-40 bonds, registered — 60 of $10,000 each, Nos. 8,744 to 8,763 and 18,903 to 18,942, inclusive 600,000 United States 4 per cents, registered — 30 of $10,000 each, Nos. 1,971 to 2,000, inclusive

300,000 United States 5-20’s of July, 1865; 26 of $500 each, Nos. 82,006, 82,144, 82,145, 84,903, 85,046, 85,107, 86,080, 86,943, 87,475, 89,707, 89,728, 90,319, 90,419, 93,043, 93,170, 94,577, 97,928, 97,933, 99,57°, 99,876, 101,110, 102,792, 102,908, 103,421, 105,099, 106,636 ; 35 of $1,000 each, Nos. 152,410, 152,411, 153,986, i54,4io, 157,844, 161,662, 163,159, 165,120, 165,167, 166,794, 166,821, 169,044, 169,747, 171,959, 172,543, 172,544, 173,052, 173,784, 173,785, 175,642, 178,050, 184,791, 187,141, 194,439, 194,597, 194,742, 199,678, 201,292, 202,897, 207,085, 208,069, 208,746, 208,828, 209,419, 209,686

48,000 New York State sinking fund gold 6’s, registered. No. 32 32,000 New York City Central Park fund stock, certificate No. 724, registered 22,700 New York County Court House stock, No. 2, six per cent, registered — Certificate, No. 4 $10,000 Certificate, No. 23 35,000 Certificate, No. 24 5,000 Certificate, No. 32 10,000 Certificate, No. 33 47,000 Certificate, No. 39 95,000 202,000 New York City accumulated debt, seven per cent, bonds, registered — Two of $100,000 each, Nos. 1 and 2, due 1886 $200,000 One of $50,000, due 1887, No. i 50,000 250,000 New York City Improvement stock, seven per cent, registered; ten certificates of $20,000 each, Nos. 1 to 10 inclusive 200,000 New York City Revenue Bond, registered 200,000

82 Yonkers City seven per cent, coupon bonds, 118 of $1,000 each, Nos. 233 to 242, 251 to 278, 281 to 310, 311 to 340, 531 to 550, all inclusive $118,000 Brooklyn City Water Loan coupon bonds, 25 of $11,000 each, Nos. 2,167 to 2,191, inclusive. 25,000 East Chester Town coupon bonds, 50 of $1,000 each, Nos. 27 to 76, inclusive $50,000

All of the above bonds and securities are registered in the name of the Manhattan Savings Institution, payable to it, except the $48,000 five-twenty bonds of July, 1865, the $118,000 Yonkers bonds, $50,000 East Chester bonds, and the $25,000 Brooklyn City Water Loan coupon bonds. The bank officers notify all persons not to purchase or negotiate the bonds or securities, or any of them, “as the same are the property of the said The Manhattan Savings Institution.” If any of the above bonds are offered you will please notify the police of New York City.

This was no doubt the largest bank robbery that ever occurred in this country. Fortunately nearly all of the bonds and securities were registered in the name of the bank. The United States Government and the Legislature of the State of New York came to their rescue, and ordered new bonds and securities to be issued, thereby reducing the loss from nearly $3,000,000 to less than $20,000, the larger part of which was in money.

Hope’s picture is an excellent one, taken in February, 1878.