George Leonidas Leslie
He closed it and left for New York City in 1869, due to ostracism over him evading the Union Army draft in the American Civil War.
In New York, he met Fredericka Mandelbaum, a fence; she put Leslie in charge of a gang that stole almost $800,000 from the local Ocean National Bank in June 1869, the largest robbery in the city's history at the time.
[4] After graduating, Leslie was engaged to a woman named Sarah Lawrence,[6] who was from a rich Cincinnati family and Sunday school.
He wanted adventure, and to escape the stigma of being a draft-dodger by becoming anonymous, so he sold his family's home, closed his firm, and moved to New York City at the age of 27.
[12] Leslie invited Josie Manfield to the play, a wealthy guest at the dinner, who was Fisk's mistress a former showgirl from San Francisco.
[15] Fisk later sent Leslie an invitation to a private party held at 79 Clinton Street, the home of Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum, who was the biggest fence in the city.
Sometimes he would rent a safe-deposit box or open an account at a particular bank, which gave him an excuse to spend time in the building and observe its layout and operation.
Over time and extended use, the lock's tumblers left dents or marks on the wire that recorded the numbers that made up the combination.
Use of this tool required George to enter the bank at least twice prior to executing a robbery, once to place the device and a second time to retrieve it.
[25] Draper did not like the idea of a beginner heading a robbery, but Mandelbaum insisted and said he would not be involved if he did not take orders from Leslie.
[27] Irving got accepted at the bank as a cleaner,[27] and Jimmy Hope used a disguise to rent office space in a basement right below the vault room.
[28] On the first night, Friday, Irving worked his cleaning job and let Leslie, Dobbs and Leary in the back door.
The money was largely in United States bonds belonging to private individuals, located in 25-30 tin boxes.
She was fine with his criminal life, until she found out that Leslie was spending large amounts of time and money on different women.
[37] Between 1 and 4 a.m. on October 14, 1872, nine robbers including Leslie stole $50,000 in stocks and bonds and $9,500 in money from the Saratoga County National Bank in Waterford, New York.
[46] Starting in September, the group, including Leslie, travelled between Brooklyn and Northampton, to plan and watch the bank employees and deputy sheriff.
[48] On the night of the robbery, the gang, which included Dunlap, Scott, Connors, Draper, Irving, Porter, and Yost,[49] entered Whittlesey's home.
[57] The gang would then conceal the money and securities in a series of railway trunks, which Draper and Porter would ship from the Dexter train station to New York.
Leslie had given them disguises from the Grand Opera House, and shielded them from the street using a black theatrical screen, preventing a police patrolman who walked by from spotting them.
In order to prevent the officer from coming back and noticing them, Porter left the alley and leaned on the front door, to suggest he was waiting for someone to open it.
Leary threatened to beat Barron until he gave the vault keys' location, and Draper pistol-whipped him with a revolver.
[60] The newspaper reported that Barron had been killed after he would not give up the bank combination, and that Pinkerton agents had been contacted to find those responsible.
To calm things, she suggested she would split the robbery cuts between the gang members based on how important she felt their services were worth, which Leslie disagreed with.
In actuality, Leslie planned to use the time to rob the bank with another gang that Grady provided him, not with Draper, Irving, Leary, Porter, or Yost.
Leslie told Molly he would retire from the revenue service (his story to avoid mentioning his criminal career), because he had made dangerous enemies.
[69] Leslie returned from Philadelphia in late May, and went about his business as normal at his Greene Avenue cottage, with Walsh by his side.
[74] Attending the funeral were Draper, Grady, Irving, Porter, Walsh, Yost, Thomas Brynes, and several Pinkerton agents.
During the investigation, they found out about the saloon fight, and identified Draper, Irving, and Leary, as the ones that had quarrels with Leslie, and police brought them in for questioning.
They questioned the cab driver at the saloon and found he had dropped Leslie off at Halsey Street, indicating the woman was Babe.
[76] They concluded Leslie had been murdered either in or near Draper's home on Halsey Street, and that the body was then taken to Mott's Woods, and theorized Babe had been forced to write the letter.
