EXTRAORDINARY BANK ROBBERY AT GENOA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1747, 31 July 1862, Page 5

EXTRAORDINARY BANK ROBBERY AT GENOA.

A letter from Genoa gives the following details of an extraordinary bank robbery : — •• This city has been thrown into the greatest excite* inent by a robbery, perfectly unparalleled for its magnitude and audacity, which has just been committed on M. B. Parodi and Son, the wellknown bankers. To-day at half-past one o'clock a band of aimed men, about 20 in number* entered M. Parodi's bank, situated in Strada Nuova, one of the most frequented thoroughfares and over-powered and tied down to their desks, all tbe clerks, who were seated in one large room with their employers, these latter being treated in the same manner; and while some of. the intruders held their captives still with loaded pistols and drawn knives held to their throats* the others coolly made a sweep of all the notes and cash within reach. The sum taken amounts to 735,000 f., Messrs. Parodi having unfortunately the habit of keeping their balances on their own premises in preference to depositing them at the Bank. While the process of rifling was going on, two or three customers happened to enter the bank, and were secuie 1 aod gagged by the burglar?, who after having emptied out the tills and safes, left the office quietly by twos and threes, in the same way as they came, so as not to excite suspicion in the streets. So com* plete was the success of the whole man«vre that the alarm was not gives till some time after the last of the robbers bad disappeared, wheu one of the cleiks succeeded in freeing himself from his fastenings, and ran out to inform the neighbours of the fact. It must be understood that the office is situated on the top floor of M. Parodi's palazzo, and quite at' the back, so that even if any one of the clerks had had the time or courage to shout for help, their cries would probably have passed unnoticed. AI. Parodi, tbe head of the firm, is at present in the hands of his medical attendant, his frame having suffered a most severe shock from the effects of the outrage, and, as he is old and feeble, it is feared that the consequences may be' fatal."

The Turin correspondent of the Daily Netus, writing on the 4th, gives the following further details : — Nothing has yet occurred that gives any hope of discovering the perpetrators of the extraordinary robbery committed in Genoa on the Ist of this month. The facts are these: The banking-bouse of Parodi, the richest banker in Genoa, is not far from the Post-office, in the Via Nuova, one of the main thoroughfares in the city, ami always full of traffic' On the last two days of April Sijnor Parodi was repeatedly visited by an elegantly dressed stranger, who desired information respecting a loan, and as to the mode in which a large sum might be re* milted from Rome. At 2 pm.on the Ist May Signer Parodi was engaged, with his son and eight clerks, in receiving payments and deposits, when the same person presented himself again, accompanied by another in travelling costume. Recoguising him at once, Parodi told him he had not been able to procure the required information. " Thanks," replied the stranger, " but this is not my present business." At the same time two other persons, dressed nearly in the same style, came in, whilst another pair appeared at the entrance and took post there. One of the first four then produced a big roll of silk cord, aud all the six drew from their pockets either double barrelled pistols or daggers. " Silence !" cried the leader of the gang, ,-*? the first that stirs or speaks is a dead man, and" — clapping his pistol to the banker's breast — " we shall begiu by killing Signor Parodi ; but if no one budges we shall do no harm to any one: we only want the money." None of the ten dared to move ; they were petrefied. Then two of the gang, having tied every man's hands behind his back with the silk cord, led him into the adjoining room, and making him sit down on the ground, tied his legs together, the leader meanwhile keeping his pistol at Signor Parodi's breast, and another of the gang standing, pistol in hand, at the door of the inner room. The ten prisoners being thus bound, each of them had his mouth stopped with a cravat.. But meanwhile other persons came to the bank on busiuess, and these were attended to by the pair who were posted at the entrance door. The moment they stepped in they were silenced in tba same way, led into the inner room, and bound and gagged as the others had been before them. Seven were thus served, among whom was a postman, who brought sixty thousand J francs in bauk votes, which were overlooked by the robbers. These primary operation^ having been accomplished, four of the robbers remained on guard, whilst the other two sacked 700,000 francs in bank notes, and 100,000 francs in gold Content with this booty, they kissed the banker's son on the forehead, telling him to cheer up, hut to keep silence for at least ten minutes longer, and away they went quite coolly, in sight of a great number of persons in the courtyard and the street. They separated at once, and disappeared in various directions, but without running or doing anything else that conld excite suspiciou. A quarter of an hour afterwards a rumour of the affair begau to spread, a crowd to gather, and the police to make inquiries, bat all to no purpose ; nobody could give any account of the ciimiHals. Notice was given by telegraph to all the railway stations, and ali the outward bound vessels were examined, but not a trace of the six thieves could be discovered. I have just returned from Genoa, where I left everyone confounded and dismayed at this astounding event which is there regarded as a public misfortune. It appears that the robbers were adepts in such affairs, and their accent seemed to indicate that they were from Central Italy ; either from Bologna or Faenza, that is to say, pupils of the Papal government.