The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-09-30
sUDagIeus ROBBERY.
INC Deltberately Planned Raid upoB the
ismEk % HnntiIsetan, West va.-Thc

I1iaheana Pssrsalt af fAe II obbers. -
~ correspondence Springfield Republican,
HUNTINGTON, West Va, Sept. 9,
ls15.-Will you and your readers be-
heye that write truth or fiction when /
tell the plain facts of the remarkable
bank robbery here, an affair in all its
details almost incredible in this coun-
try or in this century? Four men have
been stopping in this neighborhood for
two or three weeks, one of them at a
hotel here, making a considerable bank
deposit and frequently calling at the
bank on business, registering as j. e.
johnson of Tennessee; the others
boarded az a farmers. dealt a little in
stock and purchased four hpe lhorses.
Without creating stspieion they rodetel
farmers on Saturday, with their
horses in splendid condition, and re-
manned until Monday. While there they
were groonihg their horses almost con
stantly, frequently bathed their backs
with aTnica, had them carefully shod
and made ready for the fearful race be- J
fore them. AlAt2 O'clock, Monday, they
rode quietly into town, tied their horses,
and two of them crossed the street TO
the Bank Of Huntington. One stood
near the horses, another entered store
opposite the bank, called for a cigar,
asked the three men inside if they had
any " shooting irons" then coolly drew
his own and frankly told them his
friends were having a little trouble max
ing change over the way and didn't wish
TO be disturbed.
In the bank the two sprang over the
counter, seized the Cashier, Mr.. Oney,
and demanded money. He gave the
81 800 living on the counter, and, after
some delay, opened the safe and took out
about 1900 more. They asked if this
was all, threatened him if he answered
falsely, carefully examined the vault
and then in the qHietest manner open
ed his books, saw the balances
of Saturday and then the leader said:
80 / believe you are right, but this is a
mighty poor bank, Mr.. Oney, and it is
too bad to tempt honest men with false
appearances As if this was not au-
dacious enough, he turned again to the
Cashier, and said: a knew you in
Mosby's command and don't want you
to suffer. How much stock have you
here?''- He answered politely /" About
seven dollars and a half" when our
Dick Turpin coolly unrolled his money,
made exact change, and laid it on the
counter. He then said: "YOu see |
am not after your money, Mr.. Oney,
aud it world be very dangerous to leave
this bank alone, but must trouble you
to cross the street with me, as l may
need help in mounting" They then
Il hn a.
across the street, mounted coolly, called
in the sentinel, when the leader made
another speech; awe are obliged to
part with you, and, as you seem to have
something to say, you may now say 1t;
in fact, you may YELL" And the Cash
Ter did yell, and Jim yelled, and the men
in the store yelled, and the President,
who was quietly walking up the street
with friend and had just wondered
what his Cashier was out there trading
horses for, yelled, and the two hundred
| people who were on the street yelled.
The robbers rode quietly out of town.
walked their horses up a long hill over
looking it, and saw wild community
running for shOt-guns, mounting dray
horses and in a very few minutes in
hot pursuit. And the pursuit was hot.
Most Of the horses, ridden at a furious
pace. were "st0ve'' or blown" be-
fore they reached the summit, while the
robbers waved their hats and loosed
their reins. The country has been
aroused, and hundreds have been in
/ pursuit. @
The robbers have been in the saddle
now three days and nights, and seem to
! have ridden with great caution, and
have every day been in sight of their
pursuers. They have an advantage in
being able to ride at night, while their
4 pursuers have an advantage in getting
/ RELAYS of fresh horses. There are no
telegraph lines in the country, and they
have evidently bribed people along the
way to throw the pursuers off the track.
! The ride is almost as remarkable as the
robbery. The Sheriffs of - counties
are in the pursuit. Immense rewards
are offered, the robbers have been de-
clared outlaws, and yet those four
| horses, "two bays, a gray and a
brown" have steadily gained upon and
have probably now distanced their pur-
suers They have crossed rivers and
/
/ borders of Kentucky and near the
| mountains of East Tennessee. The To-
cation of the bank, although at one end
of the town, was not favorable to the
robbery. 1t was upon the principal
/ street, at least twenty stores were in
sight, and several people passed during
the occurrence. Some ladies were sit
Ting in the windows opposite and no.
ticed the disturbance. The Cashier de-
tanned them fully fifteen minutes, and
yet they showed no nervousness. They
made no attempt to conceal their faces.
They appeared to be well-infOrmed
men, and certainly all they met were
impressed favOrably.
Do not think from my manner that |
treat this matter lightly. | am one OF
the aggrieved citizens. They have a
little of my money, and l am properly
Indignant. We have solemnly resolved
not to wait the slow process of the law.
If they are caught they shall hang. We
are not in Mexico nor in Italy, and
brigands they are and must die. But
as the hanging seems to be delayed
from some cause, and the ludicrOus was
somewhat prominent in the affair, we
have decided to take our smoke before
, dinner. And if we must be robbed
again, the disappointing world can
: not send more engaging thief than j.
c. johnson of Tennessee. For general
information would say that Hunting
ton is a town of 5000 inhabitants, in
West Virginia, eight miles from the
kentucky line, that the bank was a pri-
vate one, and that the entire plumber
was less than $4,000, and that the
moonlight nights and dry weather have
greatly aided the escape.
) From dispatches to the Louisville
COuricr-J0urndl we learn that the foul
: robbers passed through Pine Hill, Ky.
; where an attempt was made to capture
/ them by two DILLON brothers. Severa
shots were fired, one of which brough
down one of the robbers. The other:
: fled in the direction of Somerset. Al
were on foot. The wounded robber was