South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-09-24
West Virginia Bank Robbers.
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Escape Hoe People fsei ,i5oat n;

E'espe--Lf0.e People fssi .i6oat n.
HUNTINGTON. ". VA. Sept. .. 1875.
To the Editor ieftls R,puciicas. -,
Whlyou and your readers believe that
l write truth or fiction when I tell the
plain facts of the remarkable bank rob.
berry here, an affair in all its details n.
most Incredible in this country or in this
century,! -Four men have been stoppine
, in this neighborhood for two or three
weeks, one of them nj 2 hotel here, max.
ing considerable bank deposit aud FREE
qucntly calling at the bank on business,
registering as j. {. johnson, of Tenn. !:
the other boarded ut farmers. dealt n
little IN stock and purchased four fine
horses. Withou. creating suspicion, they
/ rode 10 q farmer on Saturday, with their
horses in splendid condition, and remain.
cal until Monday. While there they were
i'grooming their horses almost constantly.
frequently bathed their backs with ami.
ca. had them carefully shod and made
ready for the fearful race before them.
At 2 o'elocl Monday, they rode quietly
INTO town, tied their horses, and two OF
4 them crossed the street to the bank of
4 huntington, One stood near the ,hors-
tes, another, entered a store opposite the
bank, Called for n cigar. asked the three
/ men. Inside. ifthey had any shooting
! irons" then coolly drew his own aud
frankly told item his, friends were hav.
4 ing q little trchblc making change over
the way and Didn't wish to be disturbed
r. Ia the bank The two sprang. over the
J counter, ~seizcd the, cashier. Mr.. Onev.
! and demanded mopey. lie gave the
! Si,50Q. lying, Oh the Counter. and, after
some delay ,openeI the safe and, took
out about $1,000 more, They asked If
this was all Threatened him, if he an,
.Fswere9 falsely, carefully examined tiie
fyault,, and then in the quietest manner
/ opened his books, saw tic balances of.
! Saturday and then The leader said. 81
believe you are right, but. this is n nigh,
! ty poor bank, Mr.. Oney, and 1t is too
bal to tempt honest men with false ap,
pearanceS. AS il this was not auda.
cious enough, he turned again to the
! cashier, and said: II knew YOU i'm Mos
by's command and don't want YOU to
tSnifer. How much stock have YOU here?"
lie answered politely "About seven dol
lars and 3 half" when our Dick rurpin
! coollv unroilcd his money. made exact
change, and laid it on the counter. He
then said; You see am not after
your money, Mr.. Oney, and it would be
very dangerous to leave this bank alone,
but must trouble you to cross the street
with me, as l may nrei help in mount
ing. They then macciicd Oney and the
colorei porter across the street. mount.
cd coolly, called in the sentinel, when
the leader made another speech: 1--WE
are obliged to part with you, and, as YOU
seem to have something to say, YOU may
now say 1t; in fact, you may gcp." And
the cashier did yell. ana Jim yelled.
and the three men in the store yelled.
and the president. who was quietly walk.
ing mp the street with friend. and had
just wondered what Ills cashier was out
there trading horses for. yellel. AMI the
two hundred people who were on the
street yelled. Thc roh',er; 70 L. Quietly
out of town. walked tllcir horses M n
long hill overlooking Il. and saw n wild
community running for Shot guns. mount.
/ ing dray horses aud III very e. " minutes in bo,
/ Pursait And the pursuit, WI. hot. Must O,
! Tue horses ridden nj furious pace were Stove"
! or "blown' before they reached The summit
While he robbers waved their bats ana iooscd
! their Teins. The country has been aroused. md
hundreds have been in pursuit.
he robbers have been In the saddle
now thrce days and nights and seem. to
I have ridden with great caution. and have
/ every day iceH in sight OF their pursn.
/ ccs, They have ri advantage i'm hsinr
( able To rl,ie ~ night while their pnrsu-
erS have ar advantage in getting relays
| OF fresh horses. There are no telegraph
/ lines III the country. and they have eyi.
/ IDENTIFY bribed people along tho way to
throw tho pursuers Off the track. The
! ride Is almost rs renarlsable as the rob.
berry. The sheriiis Of thirteen counties
are in the pursuit. Immense rewards
are offered. the robbers have been dc.
/ clarod outlaws, and yet those four hors.
a., Two bays. gray and n brown"
have steadily gained upon, and have pro.
baby now distaneed their pursueIs.-
| They have crossed rivers and mountains
( and are nearly beyond The borders Of
I hcntncky and near the mountains Of
East Tennessee. The location of the
bank, although at one end Of the town.
was not favorable 10 the robbery. IL
/ was upon the principal street, at least
twenty stores we're IN sight. and several
/ people passed during the occurrence.
Some ladies were sitting i'm the windows
opposite aud noticed the disturbance. -
hc cashier detained them fully fifteen
minutes. and yet they showed no ner-
vousness They made no attempt to
conceal their faces. They appeared 10
i be we'll informed men, and certainly ALI
they met were impressed favorably.
DO not think from M manner that
treat this matter lightly. ! am one Of
tho aggrieyed citizens. They have n
little ofmy money anil am properly in.
: dignant. We have solcmnly resolved
no; 10 wait the slow process Of tho law.
IL they are caught they shall hang. We
orc not in Mexico nor in Italy. aud bri.
gands they are and must die. But az
the hanging seems 10 be DELAYED from
some cause. aud the ludicrous was some.
what prominent IN the affair. we have