St. Landry democrat., 1882-09-16
THE KEWANEE BANK ROBBERY.


cago Times reports the following among other
evidence given in the preliminary examna-
ton of J. S. Scott on the charge Of completely
in the kcwanee bank robbery. After the con-
cuson of the testimony in this case the parties
accused of and confessing 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 in the
First National bank on August IA. Miss Palmer
was assisting me at that time. We closed bust
ness about five o'clock that afternoon. There
was about 5000 in paper, about $500 or SiI0 in
silver, and about $1,000 in gold in the safe. and
perhaps $500 or $500 in use. took out 5000
in gold Saturday night. If all the money had
been there it would have amounted to about
$4,000 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 stutIng rags in her mouth. One man
was WEIGH; the other did not know. Saw him
pass on Friday. WEIGH asked me il I
wished to see him. told him didn't. They
put the money in the sachel and bound my
feet and tied cloth over my mouth. Soon
after they left l released Miss Palmer and
opened the door with dimes. When l got out
all Of the silver. Some of the silver was scat
tered about gave the alarm. The robbery
was the result of a plan laid long before
About year ago last spring Scott ana [ had
talks of doing something OF this sort. He
talked with me at the gate, one evening, when
he walked b me with me. Wished 10 crack
Miles Minnecks safe. We talked about
drilling the safe at the bank. | experimental
at the bank, and thought it c,n1 be done
Scott said he could take the temper out of the
ni.tpS them.
Chicago an / got some drills made. Had them
sent to Princeton. but think he never.
Welch sent two drills and box of
fuse. They were ut SCOTS Office. This was
about two months before the forgery. Scott
said WEIGH wanted to take hand with
them. had had no talk with WEIGH 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 ut our leisure In case we
tunneled we were to put cigar stubs and
pieces of crackers SO it would be thought
SO me one had lived in the tunnel. Scott also
thought we could get nOiselesS engine to do
the drilling. We altcrward thought we could
get I'm internal machine into the bank by hav-
ing it wrapped up in paper. ] recommended
that WEIGH should come here and represent
himself as catte-buEer, and core TO the
bank and inquire if money had been sent to
him: that we should have package sent by
express and he should deposit it in the bank,
and that should take that package and put in
its place this machine, and fix it TO explode az
any time we thought be This was before
and after the forgery. This was given up.
i'll 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 wishedto come III the bank
and throw pepper in my eyes when | was there
alone. ard go through The bank, but would
not consent. Thought it would place too much
r,sponsi biliiy on me. Had Il talk with Wech
at the time OF thu forgery. When Scott went
to st. Louis he promised to come and help US
when there was a favorable time. We ex-
pectcd him to help us this time. About two
weeks before the robbery WEIGH was in st;
LOUIS, and Scott wrote to me that WEIGH had
no money and asked me to cash check for
him. Irefused to do this as had no money.
Scott wrote me later that he had given WEIGH
some money and aske 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 now was the time
to do the business. Scott wrote me to know
what the plan was. l wrote and informed him,
and he sad he was afraid he would be recon-
nized, as he was TO take part in the plan we
had arranged. Iwrote him that WEIGH would
furnish DISCUSSES. 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 its being found out, and asked
If it could not be managed in some way with
out him. This was the nnal result of cur COR
respOndenee. The understanding was that
Scott was to share equally with US if he took
part: If not, were to give Scott 5000. Twas
to have $4,000. WEIGH was to give the man
edge of the robbery up to two or three days OF
its taking place. had seen WEIGH but tive
times before the robbery. saw him at Galva
about two weeks before the robbery. Fur
nished him money MS he needed il.
E. n. WEIGH testified rs follows
"HuYe been acquainted with Scott three OF
four years Met him IN Princeton. Saw him
in Chicago last Christmas, and have seen him
but once since i'll st. Louis i'll june last. He
telegraphed me to come there. Was aT haE-
sas City. We had correspondent hetpre re,
garding the robbng OF the First National
Bank. talked with him about tie rttDbary,
some time before he left kcwanec 4 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 lnt'te and
Scott was to help, but he made enc at hca2o,
in which he would not help. We lit Eded To
came to kewanee to help do it, but il was post
poned till Monday. Had talked W tn cott be-
fore. He first spoke to M about III" robbery.
Said he had talked with Pratt, and gave me
to understand that Pratt was willing Il help.
This was some three. years AGO. | toldt
him I would help if .e,verythin@ was ;, all
first plan was to put us under III" counter, and
when Wentworth came in Pratt was to give Us
a signal, when Scott was to attack wentworth
and / was to take Pratt. Another plan was to
blow the safe. We were to receive an express
package and deposit it in the bank. and were
to have duplicate containing dynamite to put
in its place and blow up the safe a1tet TAX
ing the money, This was the third plan. The
second was to drill and blow the sa1e with
powder. Saw Pratt at Galya: Had talked Win
Scott about it while in st. Louis. Wrote 20
Scott few days after, either from Chicago
or Milwaukee. We were to gag tpc
girl. Scott was to help us. He was &c, gag
the young lady, and | was to attend to
Pratt. Scott answered my letter, saying he
thought the scheme was a good one and
would work all right. He wrote me again
at Peoria. Sad he was some afraid to COM
no INIT decline l.
wrote again telling him thought he could dis
guise himself SO there would be no 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 not prepared as he had not got the
money put away back in the bank and Dor