1798 Robbery of the Bank of Pennsylvania

Nov 4, 2024

Dive into the first recorded bank robbery in U.S. history, where a blacksmith named Patrick Lyon was wrongfully imprisoned. Discover the bizarre confession of the real thief amidst a yellow fever outbreak. Unravel the legal chaos and societal repercussions faced by Lyon and the bank's officials. Learn how societal biases affected justice, leading to a dramatic trial and Lyon's eventual vindication. The tale intertwines crime, deception, and a remarkable journey from blacksmith to engineer, all rooted in a pivotal moment in American history.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 3min

The First Bank Heist: Patrick Lyon's Tale

02:56 • 6min

The Robbery and the Trial of Patrick Lyon

08:50 • 7min

Web of Deception

15:27 • 9min

Justice Denied: The Lyon Case

24:27 • 9min

The Wrongful Accusation of Patrick Lyon

33:01 • 13min

The Infamous 1798 Bank of Pennsylvania Robbery

45:32 • 2min

The first recorded bank robbery in the U.S. resulted in the wrong man sitting in jail, a very strange confession, and a serious lawsuit for the administrators of the bank that was robbed.

Research:

Avery, Ron. “America’s First Bank Robbery.” Carpenters’ Hall. https://www.carpentershall.org/americas-first-bank-robbery
“Democratic Mystery Unraveled.” The North American. Nov. 20, 1798. https://www.newspapers.com/image/593171719/?match=1&terms=%22isaac%20davis%22
Hunt, Kristin. “The first major bank heist in America happened 225 years ago in Philly — and the wrong guy went to prison.” Philly Voice. Aug. 31, 2023. https://www.phillyvoice.com/first-bank-robbery-us-philly-carpenters-hall-patrick-lyon/
Lloyd, Thomas. “Robbery of the Bank of Pennsylvania in 1798. The Trial in the Supreme Court of the State of Pennsylvania. Reported from the Notes by T. Lloyd. Upon Which the President of That Bank, the Cashier, One of the Directors (Who Was an Alderman) and Another Person Who Was the High Constable of Philadelphia; Were Sentenced to Pay Patrick Lyon Twelve Thousand Dollars Damages, for a False and Malicious Prosecution against Him, without Either Reasonable or Probable Cause.” Philadelphia: Printed for the publishers. 1808. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WfcdAAAAMAAJ&rdid=book-WfcdAAAAMAAJ&rdot=1
Lyon, Patrick. “The narrative of Patrick Lyon, who suffered three months severe imprisonment in Philadelphia gaol; on merely a vague suspicion, of being concerned in the robbery of the Bank of Pennsylvania: : with his remarks thereon.” Philadelphia. Francis and Robert Bailey. 1799. Accessed online: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N26860.0001.001/1:3?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
“Pat Lyon at the Forge.” MFABoston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/34216/pat-lyon-at-the-forge?ctx=797a5f9d-a27a-4ae4-996d-f277ad579544&idx=0
Rakich, Whitney, PhD. “Patrick Lyon (1769-1829).” Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/patrick-lyon-1769-1829#note2
“Well-known Tenants of Carpenters' Hall.” Carpenters Hall. https://www.carpentershall.org/tenants
Xiang, Enya. “Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia: A Crossroads for Early American History.” Global Philadelphia. Aug. 11, 2023. https://globalphiladelphia.org/news/carpenters-hall-philadelphia-crossroads-early-american-history

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.