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Notes -
We don't know because it wasn't written in the article and it happened over a hundred years ago. But his car was bought from him at gunpoint and then wrecked later, and I don't think they had great insurance plans back then. He might have been allowed to keep the money out of pity..
The legal principle is some 1700 years old at least..
The car owners grievance is clearly with the thieves not the bank. Whether they gave him money for the car or not doesn't matter. Imagine they had just robbed him, would he then be entitled to some of the banks money because the robbers wrecked his car?
I think you have to listen to the story to get it. Everyone took the law into their own hands. Yes, legally he shouldn't get the money. But ethically, I don't think anyone took it back from him.
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