The Osceola times., 1880-04-03
A BANK PRESIDENTS PLUCK.
Elmwood (nl.) Messenger.


| in the bank The interior of this build
| ing has in front one room-the bank
business room, containing a large Ter
williger IN. " safe, a counter-simply
a stone counter-and three smaller
safes, all antique, chiefly for papers. The
large safe is fire-proof, with burglar
proof money-box inside. The doors of
each safe have combination locks. In
the rear of the front room is a small
room, about ten by twenty feet, extend
ing across the building. Here Mr.. Run
kle's bed stands, with stove, table, chairs
and other conveniences for business con-
sultations. Last of all, behird this is an
| other room of similar size, little occu-
pied, with one window in the west, pro-
tected by a heavy pair of inside blinds,
| the slate an inch in thickness and i'm
movable. An iron bar stretches across
| obliquely, and is fastened by key or
| togyle on the end of Il bolt that runs
through the window frame from the
outside.
On Friday last the Hon. J. ii. Lewis,
Mayor of the city. having finished a fine
new dwclling-house, invited the family
of Mr.. y. ID. Rogers, of the Hebard
House, where he had long boarded, and
all the boarders, to a party in his new
residence. Among the rest Mr. Runkle
went, but left the party at nine o'clock
on his way to the bank. Mr.. Runkle
retired to bed.
About one o'clock in the morning he
was awakened by a loud swapping sound,
such as we hear in hard frost when a
house timber is strained. He supposed
it was only the frost, and went to sleep
again. As near as he could Judge, it was
half-past one when he awoke to see, by
the light of lantern that sat on the front
counter, three men of medium size, with
masks of white cotton ON their faces
from the eyes down. One of them
caught him and told him to keep still"
but no weapon was drawn at this time.
They then proceeded to gag him by put
ting in his mouth stick somewhat
thicker than the thick end of broom
stick, and about six inches long. A
stout cord was fastened to each end, and
this was tied tightly behind his neck.
They next blindfolded him, crossed his
hands, and tied them tight, and lH' ing
thus made him helpless they wanted
the key of small safe in which from
$500 to 81 900 or more, was kept, to ac-
comnodate late callers after bank hours.
| 1t also contained quantity of mutilated
| currency, and nickels put up in dollar
rolls in cigar boxes. The key they
found in his pants pocket. They opened
the safe and took out the contents.
They next observed and seized quite a
quantity of silver left on the table be-
hind the counter, and emptied IL all into
/ a bag.
Having got over 81, 500 safely bagged,
the next thing was TO get at the contents
of the big safe, amounting nearly TO S2O,-
900 in money, and so they demanded
that Mr.. Runkle should give them the
combination. He truthfully said he did
not know the combination; il was only
known to the cashier and the book
keeper
"Who is the CASHIER" demanded the
chief spokesman (the Others were si-
lent).
mir. Sanburn."
"Where does he live"
"Out on the Galesburg road"
"IIow many persons are there in the
| house?"
"Two men and their wives"
They would not believe that Mr. Run
| kle did not know the combination. The
one who spoke Tor all replied:
"Now, Runkle, hain't lived all tins
| time in Knox county to be put oil with
s1ch fooling as that. You know it well
enough"
On his solemn declaration that he did
not know, one of the silent burglars
| viciously struck him with a revolver on
| the right temple, and again on the left,
| drawing blood. Against this the spokcs-
man protested, and taking out hand
kerchief wiped off the blood. They
| then proceeded to still more violent
| measures, and got a rope around Mr..
Runkle's neck, mounted him on chair,
and, throwing the rope over the partl-
| ton, which did not quite reach the cell
| ing, they proceeded 10 hang him, to
| make him reveal the combination. Still
| declaring that he did not know they
suspended HIM in the doorway, but only
| for moment or two. His feet ware OF
the ground, and it appeared TO him that
| the end of all things had come 40 him.
| On letting him down he began to expos
| tulate with them with the little breath
that was left him:
| "GentlemenuD, said he, 81 am an old
| man, and cannot stand a great deal of
such usage. If you kill me, you will be
sorry for II if it should come out after all
that what l say is true"
But they still insisted that he knew,
and said: "D- you, We'll make you
open it," and, laying him down ON the
bed, with his feet tied to the foetboard
and projecting, they lighted lamp
| which stood on table, and proceeded
to burn the soles of his feet and toes.
All this time Mr. Runkle was blindfold-
ed. The pain was excruciating, but he
endured it like martyr.
At last these children of the devil be-
gan TO feel that after all the old gentle
man was stating the truth, and they next
began to search an old safe near the
door, but found in il only old papers,
useless to them. They then inquired
about another old safe that stood in Il
corner.
"This," said Mr.. Runkle, contains
nothing of use to you, but papers belong
ing to Mr.. X iox's estate"
They took him at his word, and did
not look into it. Being now at their
wits end, the burglars went into the
front room and, consulting few min
utes, they returned TO Mr.. Runkle, who
was suffering great pain on the bed, and
proceeded TO put rope with n turn
around his neck, and which they fast
ened by both ends TO the top Of the bed,
SO that he could not get up. Another
rope, passing around his wrists, was tied
to the sides of the bed. The feet were
already fast, and the cords that held the
gag were tightened. This was ey identity
Intended TO prevent him getting up or
raising IN alarm before they got out Of
the vsy. Two Of the burglars then