James Honeyman and William J. Murray were the men involved in what is generally considered to be the first bank robbery in the U.S.
They emptied the vault and several safe deposit boxes. By the morning, they had filled several bags with $245,000 in bank notes and coins. The robbery was sensational enough to be rushed into print in the next edition of the Post, under a bold headline offering “$5,000 Reward.”
But an earlier claim, found in an article entitled “America’s First Bank Robbery” written by Ron Avery, says that first bank robbery happened in late summer of 1798.
The article describes the removal of $162,821 from the Bank of Pennsylvania at Carpenters’ Hall. The robbery was said to be an "inside job." The culprit would turn out to be Isaac Davis, a member of the Carpenters' Company.
Davis and a partner, who died of yellow fever within days of the robbery, were the only conspirators. The "inside man" was bank porter Thomas Cunningham, who slept in Carpenters' Hall the night of the robbery.