From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire: Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 262:
FOUR BANK ROBBERIES ATTEMPTED AT BELLOWS FALLS
The first banking institution in Bellows Falls was the Bellows Falls Bank, organized in 1832 and merged into the National Bank of Bellows Falls in 1865. The same year they built a small, brick, one-story banking house on a lot on the west side of the Square, just where the tower of the present town hall stands. This was the only bank building in Bellows Falls until the erection of the present buildings of the National Bank and the Bellows Falls Savings Institution in 1875, and it was typical of hundreds of the New England banking builddings of a century ago.
Four times in the history of that first typical buildding were unsuccessful attempts made to burglarize it: November 5, 1864; March 14, 1866; April 30, 1867; and November 21, 1870. Since the last date no known attempt has been made to disturb local banks.
In the first attempt, Saturday night, November 5, 1864, the would-be robbers gained entrance to the banking room of the small building through the window fronting upon the Square, by bending upward the hasp which secured the lower sash. With powder they blew off a portion of the vault lock and succeeded in prying open the outer door. The inner door foiled them, probably from lack of time, and they departed, leaving some tools inside which they had stolen from the blacksmith shop of O. B. Arms. The attempt was not discovered until Sunday evening, when Hon. H. E. Stoughton, who resided in the brick dwelling near by, noticed the dissarrangement of affairs. The bank was guarded through [263] the night, fearing a renewal of the effort. That the thieves were not experts was evident from their bungling methods of procedure.
The night of Wednesday, March 14, 1866, was selected for the second attempt. Access was gained by prying open the outside door. Powder was then used upon the vault door, but this time it resisted all efforts. It was not opened, the only damage being to the lock, which was injured so that it could not be used thereafter. In their retreat the robbers left a canister of powder, a piece of fuse and a cold chisel. Dr. O. F. Woods, who kept the hotel on the opposite side of the Square, about seven o'clock the next morning, noticed the blinds of the bank closed, which led to an investigation and the discovery of the attempted robbery. Two days later, a satchel was found upon the depot grounds containing two mallets, a burglar's jointed iron-bar, powder, fuse, and some clothing. It was ascertained that three men, evidently those connected with the break, went toward Rutland on the morning train. Two left the train at Chester, and the third, giving his name as Thomas McCormick, was arrested at Rutland and proved to be a professional cracksman. He was brought here and had a hearing, March 20, 1866, before Justice Alexander S. Campbell, who held him in the sum of $750 bail for trial at county court. Bail was furnished by the late Charles Towns, which the man forfeited, the money paying the same being sent from New York by McCormick's friends. He was a young man and in later years was known as a professional rogue.
Tuesday night, April 30, 1867, the third attempt was made. The building was entered through a window [264] upon the south side. No explosive was used, but the outer vault door was opened by means of bars, prying in, and through, the key-hole. This evidently took so long that there was no time for further effort, there being still two more, and still stronger, doors to open. As before, the tools were secured from the Arms blacksmith shop. The same night an attempt was made to blow open the safe in the hardware store of Arms & Willson.
The fourth and last attempt to rob the bank was made Monday night, November 21, 1870, and was evidently the work of experts. Entrance was gained by prying open the street door. The burglars succeeded in removing the casings of the outer door to the vault, getting as far as the second of the three doors that guarded the money. Either they were frightened away, or they lacked for time, as there was no evidence of any work upon the second door. They left in the room the most complete set of burglar's tools ever seen in this vicinity, consisting of two new jack-screws, a heavy sledge-hammer, and a large variety of wedges, bars, and chisels of all sizes and of the best workmanship. The bars were made to be put together in sections like fishhpoles, and many of the implements were supplied with duplicate handles. Upon leaving, they swung the door of the vault together and the attempt was not discovered until James H. Williams (2nd) opened the bank for business the next morning.
In only one of the above attempts was there ever secured any evidence to warrant an arrest.