The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-09-14
STORY OF THE KEWANEE BANK
ROBBERY.


A Kewanee OH special of the Cd to the Chi
cago Times reports the following among other
evidence given in tho preliminary examina-
ton of j. s. Scott on the charge OF cOaplicity
in the Kewanee bank robbery. After the con
clusion of the testimony in this case the parties
accused of and oonfessing to the robbery were
held for trial in the sum of $1,000:
J. J. Pratt testified as follows:
81 was engaged as Assistant Cashier I'm the
First National bank on august Il. Miss Palmer
was assisting me at that time. We closed busi-
ness about FIVE o'clock that afternoon. There
about $6sO0 in paper, about $500 or 500 in
silver, and about $4,000 in gold in the safe, and
perhaps $500 or $500 in use took out $1,000
in gold Saturday night If all the money had
been there it would have amounted to about
100000, counting everything. Two men came
to the door and raped, and asked Miss
Palmer to let them in. Two came in. One
caught her by the throat and carried her to the
vault. The other took me by the shoulder and
put me in the vault Miss Palmer was there.
They were sta1ffing rags in her mouth. One man
was Welch; the other did not know. Saw him
pass ON Friday. Weleh asked me if /
wished to see him told him didn't. They
put the money in the sachel and bound my
feet, and tied a cloth over my mouth. Soon
after they left released Miss Palmer, and
opened the door with dimes. When l got out
of the vault the gold was all gone and most
all of the silver. Some of the silver was scat
was the result of a plan laid long before
About year ago last spring Scott and I had
talks of doing something of this sort, He
talked with me at the gate, one evening when
he walked h1me with me. Wished to crack
Miles s. Ninneck's safe. We talked about
drilling the safe at the bank. I experimental
at the bank, and thought it c)u1i be DONE
Scott said he could take the temper out of the
plates so we could drill them. He went to
Chicago and got some drills made. Had them
sent to Princeton, but 1 think he never
got them. He sent to We ch for drills.
| Welch sent two drills and a box of
fuse. They were at SCOTS office This was
about two months before the forgery. Scott
| said Welch wanted to take hand with
| them. had had no talk with Welch at that
| time. We intended to tunnel from the fire
| engine-room to the vault. We thought to
| come into the room behind the check case and
| then drill the safe at our leisure. In case
| tunneled we were to put cigar stubs and
| pieces of crackers so it would be thought
some one had lived in the tunnel. Scott also
| thought we could get noiseless engine to do
! the drilling. We afterward though we could
/ get an internal machine into the bank by hav
/ ing it wrapped up in paper recommended
| that WEIGH should come here and represent
himself as cattle-buyer, and co re to the
/ bank and inquire If money had been sent to
/ him; that we should hive n package sent by
| express and he should deposit it in the bank,
| and that I should take that package and put in
| its place this machine, and fix it to explode at
| any time thought best. This was before
/ and after the forgery. This was given up. /
| first met w ech at Scott's office, some time
| in the summer before the forgery. In case
we had blown up the safe we were to have
taken some coin bags and put something in
! them and blow them in pieces to leave in the
| bank but we concluded to do it sometime in
| the daytime. Scott wished to come in the bank
| and throw pepper in my eyes when was there
/ nd 90 q hank huf / would
not consent Thought it would place too much
responsibility On me. Had a talk with Welch
| at the time of the forgery. When Scott went
| to St. Louis he promised to come and help Us
when there was a favorable time. We ex-
pected him to help us this time. About two
weeks before the robbery Welch was in st.
| Louis, and Scott wrote to me that Welch had
no money and asked me to cash check for
| him. I refused to do this, I had no money
Scott wrote me later that he had given Welch
some money and askeI me to give him more. ]
| saw Welch at Galva afterward. All the letters
we destroyed. This correspondence with Scott
was a few days before the robbery. Iwrote Scott
that WEIGH was ready, and was the time
to do the business. Scott wrote me to know
what the plan was. wrote and informed him,
and he sad he was afraid he would be recog-
nized as he was 10 take part in the plan VIC
had arranged. Iwrote him that Welch would
funish disgu 'ses, for which he sent to Boston.
wrote Scott later the plan we finally carried
out. He replied that he could not leave st.
Louis without it's being found out, and asked
If it could not be managed in some way with
out him This was the final result of our cor
respondenee. The understanding was that
Scott was to share equally with us if he took
part; if not, we were TO give Scott 5000. Twas
to have $4,000. WeIch was to give the man
who helped him 81, 900. Scott had full knowl-
edge of the robbery up to two or three days of
its taking place. had seen Welch but five
times before the robbery. ] saw him at GalVa
about two weeks before the robbery. Fur
nished him money as he needed it..
4. N. WEIGH testified as follows:
" Have been nc Iuainted with Scott three Oh
four years Met him in Princeton. Saw him
in Chicago last Christmas, and have seen m
but once since, il St. Louis n June last. He
teiegTaPhed me to come Rlere. Was at Kan
| garding the rcbbing of the First National
Bank. l talked with him about tHe robbery,
| some time before he left kewanec. 1t was
settled on the day we made the forgery that
we would rob the bank, but didn't decide how
| it should be done. One plan was made and
Scott was to help, but he made one at Chicago.
in which he would not help. We Intended to
| do the work on the Friday preceding, and
| came to Kewanee to help do il, but it was post
poned till Monday. Had talked with Scott be-
Said he had talked with Pratt, and gave me
to understand that Pratt was willing to help.
him I would help if everything was all
| right AM we could succeed. The
first plan was to put us under the counter, and
when Wentworth came IN Pratt was to give Us
81 signal when Scott was to attack Wentworth
| and / to take RTAIL AnOLnf pl1n was 70
blow the safe. We were to receive an express
DackaRe and deposit it in the bank, and were
to nave duplicate contalniTs dynamite to put
| in its place ana DloW up the saie aitef tax
ing the money. This was the third plan The
second was to drill and blow the safe with
Doyvd r Saw Pratt at GalVa. Had talked with
Scott about it while in st. Louis. Wrote TO
Scott a few days after, either from chicago
or Milwaukee,. We were to gag the
girl. Scott was to help He was to gag
The young lady, and / was to attend 70
Pratt. Scott answered my letter, saying he
thought the scheme was good one and
would work all right He wrote me again
at Peoria. Sa d he WIS some afraid to come
here, but did not decline to help US.
wrote again telling him l thought he could dis
guisc himself so there would be NJ danger OF
recognition. / heard from him again on the
Wednesday before the robbery Had known
him several years. He said he would help us
) and wrote to Pratt that afternoon that we
would be down there on Friday. Saw Pratt IN
the bank the day / arrived in Kewanee. He
| said he was rot prepared, as he had not got the
money put away back in the bank, and bor-
roWed SI09 Of him Went to CfaIva on the next
train ana returned to Chicago on the train go
ing east Got into KeWance between three
and -four o'clock Monday evening Went to
the bank and left the sachol. Ny friend did
not go into the bank. We returned to the bank
J about six p. IN. Miss Palmer came to the door
r Ihe man with me put his band over hel
mouth. locked the or and pushed Pratt
into the vault The other man put Miss
strike Miss Palmer, and told him to stop.
put the money in the sachel, and Pratt called
| revolver. / had no revolver when 1 wen
there. Pratt told me here the revolver was
+ we came OUT of the tank AMI met on the rail-
road Went east On the railroad 10 Goa
= shaft We did not divide tn mon until tht
: ! next day. Separated at Clinton, Iowa mrs
confesse 10 Pfnkerton- He offered me no in
ducements to do So saw Pra three tunes II
r ! Kewance. between seeing him at Galta ant
| the robbery. Got $50 the fir { tine. SzJl the
second AMI $40 the third
Z | In his testimony for the defense j. = scot
said: . ] have been living in st. Louis since
the middle of February. iso2, aud practictnt
Z | dentistry; was in East ST Louis twice IN ons
day about four weeks ago; went % i1eet meet, ~ AZ
Y | wife; did not mail any letters 10 Fratr o.
1z-h n InlIHr from LrAL