The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-09-15
THE MISSOURI ROBBERS
Bold Attempt TO Rob Another
Bank.
TWO OF THE VILLAINS DEAD.

TWO OF THE VILLAINS DEAD.
| Prospect OF Capturing all OF Them.
II seems that the Missouri band
of highwaymen and murderers, or a
portion of them, at least, have met
their just fate at last. They made
an attempt on the National bank of
Mortified, a town of about 1900
inhabitants in Minnesota, aud have
found out that the wise man was
right when he SAID "the way of
transgressors is hard" Some of the
band had been seen lurking about
Northfeld for several days, but had
not excited suspicion of their true
character, having passed themselves
as land buyers. On the 9Th inst, all
their plans having been completed,
three of them entered the town on
horseback and leisurely took their
dinners at restaurant. After din
ner one of them offered to bet the
restaurant keeper 500 that Min
nesota would GO for TiIden. They
then rode to point near the Ma
tional bank, and dismounting and
hitching their horses, entered the
Office. Just at this time five other
men entered the town, three from
one direction aud two from anoth-
er, riding their horses rapidly, ours
ing and shooting their pistols. This
was about two o'clock in the after
noon, and the bold venture created
regular reign of terror in The quiet
and peaceable town. In few min
utes every man was driven off the
streets, and many bolted their front
doors. The published accounts say
there has been nothing like the fear
and CONSERVATION that prevailed
there since the Indian massacres of
a few years ago. 1t was certainly
one of the boldest attempts at rob-
berry OH record. On entering the
bank the three men leYeled their
pistols at the three officers behind
the counter, stating they had come
10 rob the bank. The inside door
of the vault was locked. and some
time was consumed in threats to
make the officers unlock it. In Mr..
j. L. Haywood, the acting cashier,
they found brave and determined
man, who refused every demand
from them to open the safe. While
they were parleying the leader en-
tered the vault, when Mr.. Haywood
sprang TO close the outside doors
upon him. This, however, was pre-
vented by the other two robbers.
While this was going on, one of the
officers ran for tho back door 10
make his escape. One of the rob-
bers followed him, firing two shots,
one of which Inflicted flesh wound
in his shoulder. Meantime hot work
was going on outside. A few brave
men of the town, TO their credit, had
attacked the five robbers in front OF
the bank, and two of them had bit
the dust. The others yelled to the
men inside to come out. They
spraDg over the counter, and the
leader, quickly turned, and placing
the mDzzle of his pistol close to the
brave Haywoodis- head shot bis
brains out. He fell aud expired al
most instantly. By this time quite
q number of the citizens had pro-
cured arms and were firing upon
the robbers from windows and from
such other positions as they could
get into. A third one was wound
ed badly, and was taken off by his
companions. They rapidly fed from
the town, wounding one or two 9TH
er citizens as they did so. They were
holly pursued by citizens, and by
small bodies of men from other
towns, and at last accounts it was
believed the whole band would Ger
tainly be captured. The desperadoes
were undoubtedly badly fooled oyer
the reception given them by the
plucky citizens of Mortified. Fol-
once they were suddenly checked in
their career of crime, and it is hoped
that every one of them will be
brought to justice. A hundred men
are in the surrounding country in
which the robbers are, and it does
not seem possible for them to es-
cape. HaZen, q detective in the en-
ploy of the American Express Com
pany, has been sent there from Gin
cinnati, and identifies the two dead
men by their photographs as Char
Iley Pitts and Bill Chadwick. He
says also that the light-haired man
wounded at Mortified is undoubt-
edly Frank James. There is no mis-
take about this being the famous
gang operating IN Missouri, and if
any of them are lucky enough to
escape, they will hereafter give Min
nesota a wide berth.