Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-09-21

! three men were upon or over the coun-
ter, with revolvers presented at our
heads, one of them eXclaiming:
"Throw up your hands, for we intend
to rob the bank, and if you halloo we
will blow your brains out and we
could not do otherwise than comply.
They then asked which was the
cashier, to which Mr. Haywood re-
| piled: 50 He is not in They then
sprang over the counter, and demand
ed the safe to be opened Addressing
each in turn, they said: gu are the
CASHIER" which each denied. Seeing
! Haywood seated at the cashiers desk,
one of the ruffians went up to him with
his long narrow-barreled pistol and
1 said with an oath: "You are the
cashier; now open the safe" Mr.
Haywood said: cit is time-lock, and
cannot be opened now" One of the
men then went into the vault, the door
being open, also the outer door of the
safe. Haywood at once sprang for
ward and closed the door of the vault,
shutting the rObber in, when another
Of the men seized Haywood by the
collar and dragged him away from the
door, and released the incarcerated rob
| Der. - sjH .838 - z4f
The man who came out of the vault
"a slim, dark-complexioned man,
with a black mustache, then called to
the other to seize the silver which was
lying loose (about $15) and put it in
the sack. They did not do this, but
seized about twelve dollars in scrip
and put it into two-bushel flour sack
which they had with them. The dark
complexioned man who appeared to be
the leader, then again attacked Hey
wood, insisting upon his opening the
safe, threatening to cut his throat if
he did not, and actually drawing big
knife across his throat. The heroic
and faithful teller, however, was not
to be deferred from his duty, and
would rather sacrifice his life than be-
| tray his trust. Some few moments
it seemed ages to the bewildered and
| terror-stricken lockers on-were spent
in Heywood's struggling to break from
the murderous villain and gain his
| liberty. At length he broke away, and,
regaining his feet, ran toward the
door, crying murderp
! The man at once struck him with
pistol and knocked him down, and
dragging him to the safe door COM
manded him to open it. But the in
| trepid clerk stolldly refused, when the
| villain shot at him but did not hit him.
Evidently the shot was intended to in
| timidate rather than injure, but the
! scoundrel had reckoned without his
| host, for the effect was lost upon Hey
| wood. But upon discharge Of the pis-
| tol Bunker made start for the back
door and ran for dear life, one of the
! robbers pursuing and firing, the shot
| taking effect in the shoulder Bunker
however, reached the street CWater
| street, and ran to DR.. CoombS' office.
During the whole of this time four
or five men were riding up and down
the street, shooting in every direction
and keeping up an incessant fusilade.
One of the men outside came riding up
furiously and called for the men to
leave the bank. 1.-The game is up"
he said, land we are beaten -
Almost Immediately they took the
alarm, and somehow jumped over the
counter, making their exit. The small
man was last to go. He mounted a
desk at the front, and, as he turned to
go, fired and shot at Haywood, which
| l do not think is the one that took eff
feet. Haywood lodged behind his
desk, or sank into his chair (Hey-
woods desk stands at right angles to
| the bank desk, and he sat sideways to
the opening at the front, with his back
next to the walD, and as the rob-
| Der made over the desk railing he
| turned, and, placing his revolver to
Heywood's head, fired, shooting him
dead.
| He staggered forward and fell be-
hind the counter. The robbers made
out of the door. / do not remember
much more that followed. f-....
| Wilcox was not sure whether the
ruffian struck Haywood when the lat
ter staggered to the cashiers chair,
and he did not stop to see if he was
| dead when he fell. He said the reason
he did not try to get out or help Hey
wood was that one of the men stood
over him with a pistol in his hand.