The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-05-17 00:00:00

DESPERATE ATTACK UPON A BANK
IN AMERICA.

A bold attack was made on the 30th ult.' by three
desperate thieves to rob the Working Men's Savings
Bank in Ohio-street, Allegheny City. The book-keeper
had left a few minutes before noon, leaving no one
in the bank but George L. Walter, the cashier. The
messenger, who was out, was momentarily expected
to return. The book-keeper had been gone only two
or three minutes, when Mr. Walter, who was sitting
at his desk at the window in the front part of the
bank, saw two men of suspicious appearance enter
the building. One of them stopped at the front
end et the counter, while the other passed on to
the small opening in the glass partition, on the top
of the counter, about 15 feet from the door. As
Mr. Walter walked down to toe opening to attend to
the visitor's wants, he observed that he had his right
hand in the pocket of his coat, His suspicions were
a once aroused. The man laid down a dollar bill
and asked to be giv:n silver for it. Mr. Walter care-
fully watched him while get Ling th silver. When he
placed it on the small shelf at Vie opening, the man
quickly drew his right hand out of his coat pocket, and
levelling a revolver at Mr. Walter' head, exclaimed,
If you make any noise or stir, I will blow your
brains out." Mr. Walter quick as thought caught
hold ot the revolver with both hands and in a moment
wrenched it out of the man's hand. The robber then
called to his companion, who drew a revolver and
came towards Mr. Walter. The latter, fearing that
they would enter the vault at the rear of the hank, the
door of which stood open, ran to the rear end of the
counter, where he faced about. He was just in time
to see his first assailant climbing over the glass parti-
tion on the counter, and the second one getting up on
the outside of it. Mr. Walter instantly fired at the
man who had first assailed him, but the robber
jumped down behind the counter in time to dodge the
ball, which passed through the plate-glass window in
the front part of the bank. The first thief then
caught up the largest pile of bank notes on the table
and started to climb over the counter again. Before
he got on the counter Mr. Walter again fired at him,
and as he climbed up., fired again. The man then got
up over the partition and fell to the floor, dropping a
large portion of the money he h d under his arm.
Quickly regaining his feet, he ran out of the door.
While this was going on the second robber had
climbed over the partition and stood on the open
account books of the bank, on the desk of the book-
keeper, but as soon as he saw his companion climbing
back over the partition he followed him. It appears
that there were still a third man and a boy standing
outside the door. A moment after the first two men
entered, the boy followed with a large market-basket,
which he quickly dropped and ran out when Mr. Walter
to gen shooting. The basket, no doubt, was intended to
place the money in by the thieves. The three men and
the boy then darted round the corner and ran down
Madison-avenue. Before they ran away, however, one
of them fired into the bank, the ball lodging near the
door. Some people having heard the shooting, and
finding what had happened, gave chase to the thieves.
The latter ran down to the West Pennsylvania Rail-
road track, where they sep rated. At this point
one of them snapped a pistol at the railroad flag-
man, who attempted to stop them. He then leaped
over the wall and ran down Bell's-alley to the Alle-
gheny River, into which he jumped. He floated
and swam down a short distance to a coal-float,
where he pointed his revolver at a cou9le of boys in
a skiff and compelled them to take him aboard and
row him down and across the river. They landed him
on the tug-boat Samuel Miller, moored at the Pitts-
wharf, below the suspension bridge, when he dis-
appeared for a short time, but presently reappeared,
running up Fifth-street. By this time information of
the affair had reached the Pittsburg side, and when
the man made his appearance, he was pursued by two
or three officers, and a crowd of people. He, how-
ever, managed to escape. The other thieves eluded
their pursuers in Allegheny, and it is not known what
became of them. The excitement in the vicinity of
the bank was intense, and the police had to be sum-
moned to keep out the crowds that gathered. A
package of money was found on the pavement near
the bank door, where it had been dropped. It was found
that the thief had dropped 900 dollars, and carried off
1,500 dollars.—Globe.

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