Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-06-15
FRIENDS OF FRANK.
The Festive Bandit Steps Nimbly to
the Front snd Pays His Com.
pliments to the Brookfield
Bank,

Bank.
BRooKFIELD, No., May Mot
for years, and possibly never, has
Brookfield passed through the excit-
ing scenes which were witnessed here
to-day, and tonight the whole town,
or as many OF the citizens as have
remained in town, can find nothing
else to talk about save the great bank
robbery of the afternoon. 1t came
as all these robberies come, like a
thunder-clap in a clear sky, and the
al 1acity Of the deed, and the dare
devil bravado of the robbers, so COM
pletely paralyzed the people that little
attempt at checking the robbery could
be made. The six robbers, all mask
ed, rode up to the Bank Of Brookfeld
few minutes before $3.50 O'Clock.
The bank at that time was in charge
Of the cashier, John Ford, who was
quietly pursuing his, ordinary duties.
Three of the men who had gone into
the bank approached the counter and
suddenly drawing their revolvers,
leyeled them at MIR. Ford, and order
ed him to hand out the money or they
would kill him. He hesitated a mo-
ment, but the dangerous click Of the
revolver, and the admonition to ''hurry
| up, by 3D." or you're dead man,
forced him to yield to the situation,
and he then delivered over between
50, 900 and 81, 900 in currency and
specie. The robbers thereupon slowly
retreated, still covering Ford with
their weapons. They passed out of
the door, and, mounting their horses,
rode rapidly out of town, going in a
northeasterly direction. The cashier
Immediately rushed out and gave the
alarm, and thereupon commenced a
wild and, in many respects, ludicrous
pursuit. The excited citizens poured
latter the robbers on horseback, in
express wagons and carts, and even
days were pressed into service. The
robbers rather derisively turned and
fred several shots at the parties who
were pressing too close upon them.
In the hurried fight one of the rob.
bers dropped q package which was
found to contain $500. This was
promptly returned to the bank. The
pursuit, as may be surmised, was al
together fruitless, and they made
lgood their escape. The city marsha
and sheriff have, however, continued
lon the trail, and posses of men, arr
lscouring the country in all directions
There are many theories as to th'
course taken by the robbers, the mos
popular being that they have strucl
for the billy and heavily-timberes
Grand river country, where the,
would be comparatively safe from
capture. Another is that they are
tpart Of the Ray county or Clay count,
,, tgang, and that they will sooner o
later turn up in the old haunts. Th
, fquestion of Frank James being on
, of the parties is widely discussed
fOpion is pretty evenly divided.
y WAS FRANK JAMES THERE?
II There are positively no means @
settling this question from any point
; |of identification, for the men wer
: fheavily masked, and the only clue
o height and possibly the tone Of voice
fOf course in the general cxcitemer
! everybody has his theory and mean
Of identifying the man, but it is prett
lcertain that all will fail, A dispatc
), was received from Kirksville, whic
: says that for some time past part
of men have been stopping at til
county farm, five miles southwest {
" the place. They have been ther
! three weeks, and during all that tin
have been heavily armed, seeming I
exercise no precaution to conceal the
weapons Who the men were it
=, not known. They were complet
strangers in the locality, Farmel
~ in the vicinity also report that fro
. time ID time within the last few weel
strange men have been seen.
Last Saturday night several hors'
were stolen, and it is thought certa
" that the supposed tramps and Il
; BrooAield bank robbers are identic:
Z "A general alarm has been sent o
{. Through this and adjoining count
- and along the line of road. II
i" most intense feeling prevails, al
5n should the robbers be caught, Il
IL fcourts will be saved the expense
= a trial. The effect of the robbie
upon the bank viii be slight, and NJ
q, Ford, the cashier, says tonight tn
S. Tomorrow morning the bank will
Ts T opened and business will be condut
pv ed as before. He was asked if
cd thought the robbers really mea
ut business, and replied that from wi
er he had read, about bank robberies
other places he did not want TO 81
no the matter mnch thought, but &C
4. Guided; to hand over at once. Fe
" is very Efficient bank officer, a
" very popular with our citizens.
We are glad to state that the robb'
sy were captured, and are now behi
m the ,Ms, and will no doubt have
rt- extent of the law meted out to the
ey People in Missouri are getting til
I Iof such 'lawlessness. Frank Jan
We was not one Of the gang-neither '