Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-04
The Brookfield Bank Robbery.

An Eyewitness Tells of What he Saw
 and Heard of that Exploit.
 From the St.Lous Globe -Democratl
 H. " Masters and wife of Brookfeld, Mo-, are at the Hotel Hunt. Mir. Masters was spectator of the robbery of the Brookfield bank by the gang of masked men on Wed nesday.
 CT was at the next corner at the time'' said Mir. Masters, land saw all that any out slider could. The exact time was 3:35 o'clock when I saw four men on horseback dash up to the front of the bank. Two stepped in- side one stood in the door firing his gun up and down the street, and the other held the horses. It has been thought and reported that there were six men in the job but am quite sure that there were only four. Two of them, it afterward appeared, had gone to the Lima City bank and changed a silver dol lar for gold one They said they wanted 1t for charm, and as they went out, Cashier Browpley noticed that they had false boards on. He at once hurried all his money into the safe, but before he could lock it, heard the firing up at the Brookfeld. The man in the door sung out for evsry-to get inside and then began banging away. It was all over in about three minutes, and they were driving away as hard as they could drive, shooting and hollering. AS they went into the bank dry goods man named Ross, whose place is quite near, saw them and ran out into the middle of the street shouting. The banks being robbed!' as loud as he could The party in the door told him to get in, and fired in his direction, but Ross never budged. The gang seemed perfectly cool, as you may know by their stopping be- fore out of the town right in front of Con- ductor Miles house while one of them got down and frightened the girth The other three hurried him, but he looked at the sad dle slowly, and wondered what was the mat ter with the thing, any way.
 ''Every one began to muster horses for the pursuit. As it so happened. most of the good horses were at Linneus the county seat, where court was being held, so the chase was taken up at disadvantage. City Marshal McArthur had an old racer, and was the best mounted, so much so that before the robbers had got two miles away he was within 300 yards of them. He didn't dare get within nearer range, as they kept up constant fire at him but he hung that close to their heels for thirty miles. They were very poor marks mon, did not wish to hurt anyone, as none of their firing that afternoon did any damage. They dropped lot of cartridges when leaving the town, there being about POO scattered along. They were 38 and A cali bre, mostly A, their revolvers being foot long''
 Did any one attempt to stop them 2"
 ''The only attempt know of was made by Joyn A. Tooey drug clerk. He jumped in heading them off. He grabbed gun when he left the store and blazed away as they passed. One of the men fell off his horse and John thought he had killed him sure. but he was in the saddle again and off in no time. The whole four fired at John, and one ball went through the dash of the buggy, and would have hit him if he hadn't slid cut one side when he saw them aim. The party was in town about fifteen minutes altogether. l said they were cool, and Cashier Ford of the | bank tolb enough of their actions to prove it. As he handed over the money there was one nf 1lu1 1rn,ox,o1 fo tn foor He did not notice it, but one of them ! inside did and he told Mir. Ford to pick it up.
 As he stopped to do so the fellow brought f his gun down so that he never had him out | of range second, and then brought it up as l the cashier arose. Among the incidents it
 was said they met an old farmer just outside the place, who dropped his reins and held up ! his hands the moment they came in sight. Then, as they drove away. one of them drop ped package of $500 in bills, and, before
 he could pull up to get off, little boy ran out of a yard and snatched it, getting back
 before they saw him."