Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-10-25

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came for money, and money they
would have. He laid down on the
sofa, and placed a pillow under his
head. / said, "You are one of the
scoundrels who robbed the Ballston
Bank, but you managed to get some
of the stolen goods back there
again." He said he was on the ca
nal and didn't know anything about
the affair. During this time I ask
ed for my daughters, and they were
brought in and placed in the bed
with me, and my little boy. We
did not have any gags in our mouths
at this time. Soon my little boy
began to cry and make some noise.
One of the men down in the hall
heard him, and said to some near
him, "Go and cut that --- throat,
and stop his noise." The man came
up and took the boy out Of bed. l
pleaded with him not to hurt him.
He said he would not. He took
him away and put him in a dark
clothes-press, aud covered him with
bed-clothes, and closed the door on
him, and then went down stairs
again where the men were at work
ON the safe. All the time they were
in my room they were very polite
to us. They got pillows and placed
them under our heads. / asked one
Of the men how he got into the
house, and he said it made no diff
ference-they got in, and they were
there for money, which they would
get before they left the house. Du-
ring this time some Of the men
were in the hall, some in the room,
and one was lying on the sofa; but
he soon got up and placed his pill
low in the doorway. He wanted to
know what time the milkman came
came along, and l told him about
half-past in the morning. He
said that knew l was lying to him
when 1 said that. Another asked
me when my butcher came. l told
him we did not have the butcher
come to the house; we had to 60 to
the market for our meat. After
they had got all through down be-
low, they came up and commenced
to gag us. One sat down on the
side of the bed and deliberately
tore the sheets into strips, tied sew
eral knots on the strips, and made
gags which they put in our mouths.
They also tied our feet with cord
rope. They first rolled some of the
torn sheets around our ankles, SO
the cords would not cut them. AT
ter this had been done, they closed
all the room doors and went out.
Shortly after they first came into
the room and took Mr.. Vanhaven-
burg out, one of them asked me for
the revolver. l told him 1 didn't
know where it was. He said, "You
didn't get chance to use it, did
you?" After they got through rob-
bing the bank they came up to the
men in the hall, and all went out.
They had not been gone over a min
ute or two when / heard Mr.. Van
haevenburg trying to get out of bed
in the next room. l soon heard
him 90 down stairs to alarm the
neighbors. My daughter Sarah cut
the strings which bound my feet.
The handouts had to be fled off.
MISS SARAH yANH EyENRURG'SS STATE
MENT.
l sleep in room alone. The
first l heard was a loud noise. I
thought was dreaming. When l
came to my senses there were two
men in the room beside my bed
One of them placed his hand over
my mouth, the other placed the
steel handouts on my hands, after
he put my hands behind me-
They let me remain where I was at
first, and finally took me into my
mothers room and placed me in bed
with her. l then remained quiet
and they did not harm me. After
the man placed the gag in my
mouth, having first placed it in the
pitcher Of water on the table, he
patted me on the check and told
me not to be frightened. My ma
said she was sick and he said that
was too thin. He took one of the
cuffs off her hand and made her lie
down. She had been sitting up in
bed before. When they left the
room slipped my hand out of one
of the cuffs, and got knife and cut
the ropes which were on my feet,
and all the ropes from the feet Of
all the others in the house.
The burglars treated the other
daughter in the same way. While
the men were in the house no name
was mentioned. One was heard to
ask Tor ''No. 90 This is supposed
to be the number of the men in the
house, but there were probably some
in the yard outside, who kept watch
and did not come in. The ward is