The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-05
A Mlllsary nank Rokbsry.


to the Third Missouri volunteers. 1t was effect
ed in broad daylight. Below is a portion of the
statement Of the young robber which shows how
it was done:
OIvIc. OF PROyosr MARSHALL
ST. LOUIS. March 90, 1862.
was born in St. Louis county; will be six
teen years old in Nay next. joined company
II, Third Missouri Volunteers, n this city on the
4th inst, and went to Rola soon afterwards
On the Goth instant arrived in this city from
Rolla as one of an escort Of prisoners of war
escort and prisoners being in charge of Colonel
Shepherd, Of said regiment. On the Gath inst.
went to the Office o: Capt. Leighton Provost
Marshal 81. Louis District and reported that
cavalry sabre was in the possession of one Kue-
ster, living on the Bellefontaine road six miles
| from the city When I made this report l ex-
pected Capt. Leighton Provost Marshal) would
| give me authority to take the sabre, but was
merely informed that the matter would be prop
erly attended to. On the next day went to the
| headquarters Of the Eighth Missouri Militia, on
Fifth street, near Franklin avenue; said ! had
been sent by the Provost Marshal to &c. guard
OF five or six men. The officer in charge gave
me five men, and went with them to the house
Of keuster and got the sabre. On going out l
mar ched the guard to the terminus Of the rail-
road at Bremen, and then took possession of an
omnibus, telling the driver to take myself and
| guard TO the six mile house, on assuring him
that the fare would be all right between him and
Uncle Sam. The driver did not object to the
| terms which proposed. After leaving Kues
| ter's. went to the premises of Col McLaren
and took thereircm breach loading rifle, mus
ket, a shot gun, navy revolver, and few cart
ridges. then went to the house of John Jen-
nings and took from box that found there
| in about dollar in silver. Not finding any
arms in Jennings' house, in which was very
much disappointed. directed him to send his
| wagon with myself and guard to the Six Mile
| House, which order he complied with. The
money which obtained from Jennings was bare
ly sufficient to pay the fare of the guard from
the six mile house to the city. discharged the
guard on the sidewalk in front Of an eating house
on Broadway, kept by one Crozier, sending it to
headquarters on Fifth street under the care of
one Of them, whom told to act as corporal
The arms taken in this expedition were deposit
ed by me for safe keeping in Crozier's establish
ment.
On the next night, between seven and eight
o'clock, proceeded to the headquarters of the
City Guard, on Sixth street, and called for a
guard Of six men, at the same time presenting
| to Major Mcconnell an order purportng to have
been written by Captain Leighton, Provost Mar
| shall | wrote the order in an eating house on
Broadway by Miller & True As l was quite
nervous from the effects of liquor, could not
write very well, and asked Miller to write the
order, but True said: mo, if you do that it
will get you aud me into trouble; but Redman
| may write it here, and will not say ANYTHING
about it," told True that was going to get
guard and arrest the proprietors Of the Broad
way Bank, and that l would soon have money
enough to go into partnership with him, to
which he replied, "Bully for you; if you do,
will stick to you as long as life lasts" Both
Miller and True had pretty good idea of the
adventure, although had not given them the
full particulars. My intentions were, in case
obtained the guard, to rob the bank and arrest
the proprietors that night Major Mcconnell
refused to give me the guard, and returned to
Miller and True's eating house, and stayed there
that night. Before retiring for the night, told
True to call me early in the morning, as nten.
ded to arrestthe propristors Of the above named
bank, and he said he would do so.
At an early hour on Thursday morning, went
to the headquarters of the City Guard, and pre-.
scented to the Lieutenant in charge another or
der purporting to be from Captain Leighton,
for guard of six men. The lieutenant said
the order was not good and refused to place the
guard under my charge. then went to Benton
Barracks, and after few judicious inquiries,
learned that German company attached to the
Seventeenth Wisconsin Volunteers, was stationed
in Barrack No. So; so informed myself of the
Captains name and went to his quarters, and
told him that had been sent to him by the Pro-
vost Marshal for guard Of six men. He said
it was strange that had not brought written
order, but gave me the guard quite readily. NV
idea was that could get the guard more surely
from German than from an American officer,
and the result showed that had reasoned cor
rectly. Upon getting the guard marched them
to the Broadway Bank, arrested the proprietor
thereof, and sent him under guard to the Broad
way Garden; after which, finding could not
unlock the safe-it having a combination lock
Il went to the Garden and told him he must
come down and open the SAFE as l had orders to
see that all his papers we're thoroughly searched
He came down to the bank with ME and opened
the SAFE and then sent him back to the Gar
den, giving directions to have him kept in close
custody until further orders were received from
me. After his departure l went to the safe and
helped myself to quite a large amount Of money
the exact sum do not know I then locked
the door of the Bank and gave the key to a sen,
tinel which had previously stationed on the
sidewalk for the purpose of keeping the crowd
back, telling him to deliver it to the sergeant OF
the guard, and to tell the sergeant not to lei
any one have it except myself or a commits,
; stoned officer. / also gave the sentinel ten
dollar bill and told him to hand it to the ser
, geant of the guard and have it spent for the
benefit Of the guard in the way of paying fol
beer and food. l had previously paid the ser
gesnt dollar or two to pay the fare of The
guard and that of my prisoner from the Bank
to the Garden.
} Upon leaving the Bank stated to the crowd
} in front of the door that had seized a quaint
iy of counterfeit Treasury notes. and was going
to take them to the office of the Provost Mar
sha', but Immediately started in search of a
man named Jerry Welcb, (who had previously
been introduced to me by the name of Wetzel,
whom found on Fifth street, near the Melode
on. We stepped into an alley and told him
what had done. He said, "Buy for you /; you
have carried the thing ont better than have
ever heard Of anything being done before" l
then gave him part of the money which had
taken from the Bank, and told him that had
two others to divide with. l do not know how
much gave him. l then divided with Miller
and True, but do not know what sums gave
them respectively Ny opinion is that Miller
got more of the money than True did. I kept
only comparatively small amount The un-
derstanding was that Miller and True we're to
meet me in Chicago, where intended to 20 on
the day following the robbery.
The idea of getting money from the Broad
way Bank was original with ME, but spoke of
it to WEIGH, Miller and True, and they enceur-
aged it. l told WEIGH that thought of bring.
ing charge against the proprietors of the
Bank, and have it investigated by the Provost
Marshal. Pending the examination, expected
to find time and opportunity to rob the Bank.
WEIGH said that scheme would not work, and
advised me to get guard and arrest the bank
er, and have him confined in some place where
there were no commissioned officers
The Broadway Garden being the only suitable
place that knew of, I selected it as a Temporal
~ prison for the banker, and expected he would
remain there in confinement at least twenty
four hours.
Escape OF more Prls0ners from Camp
| Butler.
The Springfield, Gil y Journal, of March 81,
says Two rebel prisoners named cartwright
and Des Merks escaped from Camp Butler on
/ L. ca