The Worthington advance., 1876-09-14
RAID BY ROBB;EERIs. ROBB;E,I
The Missouri Train Robbers Undeftake to
90 Through Minnesota Bank,
but meet Bl0ody Re- -:
7. ceptiou.

90 Through Minnesota Bank,
but meet a Bloody Re- =,
, ception.
Three Men Killed and Two wounded. :
The history Of highwaymen and
bandits never recorded a more bold,
dashing and yet unsuccessful attempt
at robbery than was made at North
field, Minn., on Thursday, the 7th inst.
An account of it is remindful of the
days when British knights of the road
said Stand and deliver, and when sur
rounded by ten times their number
put spurs to their horses and de6ed
sword and bullet. = =:
Mortified is, be it stated for the in.
formation of those not acquainted with
the fact, quiet little city of about
two thousand inhabitants, situated in
Rice county and on the line of the Iowa
and Minnesota division of the Milwau-
kee & St. Paul railroad, about forty
miles from St. Paul.
The inhabitants are peacefully dis.
posed, and the morals of the city are
notably of the undemonstrative char.
acter; its people prosperous and
happy.
On the morning stated three
men rode leisurely into town and
took dinner at restaurant on the west
sideof the Cannon River, which flows
through the town, took everything in
a liesurely manner, ate heartily, dis
cussed politics amorg themselves, paid
their bill, and one Of the number, to
all appearances the leader of the. gang,
offered to bet the restaurant proprietor
one hundred dollars that this State
would go Democratic. The bet was
not accepted, and the three men
mounted their horses and drove across
the bridge.
They'tied their horses near Gee &
Hitchcock's corner, very nearly in
front Of the bank. For few moments
they stood leisurely talking among
themselves at the corner, afterwards
moving toward the bank which they
entered. At the very same time there
rode across the bridge into the large
open square, three men, mounted and
armed to the teeth, and heading their
horses into gallop commenced yelling
and firing their revolvers, ordering
'everyone inside. The shots were fred
in every direction, as the AXIS on the
buildings indicate. The square was
imme ediately cleared, store doors closed,
and surprise that produced only COM
pliance with the sudden and desperate
command prevailed. simultaneously
there rode down from the west into
the main street, two or three other
men, who observed the same kind of
tactics as the three that had Just
crossed the bridge.
With promptness that speaks vol
umes for the bravery of several of the
citizens of N0rthfield, and an intuition
of what the intent Of the desperadoes
were, that is simply remarkable, armed
themselves and did effective service.
DR.. HenrylWheeler, young physician
suddenly recollecting that there was
an old breech loading carbine in the
Dampier House, fronting on the open
square, where the robbers were DASH
ing about and firing shots in every d.
rection, issued from drug store, and
Drawing fusilade of bullets from the
robbers, ran for his life down half a
block, secured the rusty old weapon,
loaded it, and from position. in one
ofthe hotel windows commenced to
fire on the intrepid horsemen.
Meantime Mr.. A. Il. Manning, who
keeps store four doors from the cor
ner, had also secured rifle, and Joe
Hyde brought up tho rear with shot
gun. Geo. D. Bates took a position in
the door of Hanam's clothing store, di-
rectly opposite the corner, and under
the window occupied by Wheeler, and
with an empty revolver sought to in
timidate the robbers. The firing COM
menced in sharp earnest.
The robbers had in the interim con-
gregated in front of or about the bank
and had vacated the square,. Mr.. Man
ming. took position at Lee & Hitch
cock corner, and slipping out at in
tervals discharged his rifle. When he
first put his head >out he discovered
several crouching behind a horse pre-
|senting broadside to Mr.. Manning.
He let fly and killed the horse, thus
|summarily disposing of that fortifica-
tion. One more shot he got in and
which he believes brought down a
horsenan who had adopted the Indian
tactics of hiding behind his horses
neck and firing a running fire. Boyd
had meantime succeeded in discharg-
ing his shotgun. Wheeler held tile
window, and is believed to have killed
one Of the men, who up to that time
had occupied place in front of the
bank, and a spot of blood still marks
the spot. The other man fell from
his horse about one hundred feet dis.
tant and on the other side of the
street.
BY this time all were mounted. As
the horseman fell he threw up his
arms, another of the robbers dashed
up to him, said something, and seized
from his belt one of his navy revolt
vers and dashed on up the street.
While this was going on Manning
was placed underithe surveillance of two
of the robbers, who watched his move
ments so closely and covered him so
with their revolvers that he dare not
attempt to fire again from around the
corner. A flight of stairs in measure
protected him. 1t is riddled with bull
lets, and tells of a hot fire the .srobbers
sent at the intrepid and self-possessed
Manning. i
He adopted other tactics and made
through Lee g. Hicthcock's store and
renewed the fire from the back door.
Meantime Wheeler continued to do
good service from his position in the
hotel windows, as the robbers dashed
down the: street, coming from the
bloody affray, he wounded another
man. He checked his horse, called
to his companions. For God 3 sake don t