The Osceola times., 1882-07-22

BettlluR up INC huhiTb VI INC uhy, wren
three bandits, armed TO the teeth, came
in. One stood guard at the door, one
leveled his revolver at the head OF Ford,
and the other pointed his at the head OF
Miss Scott. In tones that could not be
misunderstood and threats that meant
business they called for the resources OF
the bank, and helped themselves, inside
of two minutes, TO $1,000 in silver and
gold, and 5000 in bank notes, then
vaulted into their saddles and, being
Joined by fourth, they struck out for
the north at rapid gait.
The excitement soon spread, and men
got up in arms and set out in pursuit
while the fleeing bandits, supposed to
be of the James gang, kept up running
fire on their pursuers. Fergus Nc Carthy
marshal of Brook field, assisted by Depu-
ties Moore and Twohill, led the pursuit
and kept the firing bandits in full view
right alon:. The ranks of the pursuers
swellea to the number of 250 or 300
and the excitement through several
counties spread like wildire, the small
pox or yellow fever, and those in the
path OF the banditti and their pur.
suers were ready to cut their horses
loose and stampede them, rather than
have them fall into the hands or un.
der the launches of the robbers.
Mr.. Leary's brother was in the timber
three miles off, and c, A. Leary was pre-
pairing to turn the horses loose when
the robbers hove in sight and proceed.
ed to open their artillery on him. He
showed our reporter where he got an
ugly 45-callbre bullet, he carries on his
person, in the meiee. His wife and
children in the farm house were nearly
dead from fri. ht. Mr. Leary escaped
the robbers without serious injury but
close on the track of the robbers came
the irate citizens, the vigilantes, with
weapons of every description that
could be picked up in the hurry to get
on the war'path The Brookfielders
recognized Mr.. Leary as having been in
town the night before, and finding him
thirteen miles of now, and in close
proximity to the bandits ambusbed in
the shrubbnry, they arrested Mr.. Leary
as one of the robbers, and while some of
the party were debating whether Leary
should be lynched shot or brought back
to Brookfield, the rest of the party and
banditti kept up a fusillade on each
other. Three Of the punuers horses
were killed one man had finger shot
off, and bullet grazed the head of an
other. One of the robbers got wounded
in the arm, and dropped his pistol,
bag of silver and pouch of bullets.
The people in the farm house were
nearly scared out of their wits for at
every shot the horses and mules would
prance and tear and throw their riders
ten or twelve feet up in the air. II was
a scene of the widest excitement and
terror. Over hundred'shots were fred.
In the meantime our fellow citizen,
Mr.. {. A. Leary, emptied his pockets
and tried 10 prove to the excited Mis-
that he was not one of the bank
robbers but a reputable citizen of Omaha.
He showed them his passes, letters and
and then his amisble wife
and two precious children at his brothers
farm house and the Brookfeldians
we're convinced, and continued the
pursuit till Friday evening, when the
bandits we're surrounded arrested, and
forced to surrender near Kirksville, in
Adair county, twenty-six miles north OF
the scene of the robbery. Threats of
lynching were freely discussed, but
better counsels prevailed. and they were
marched back to Brookfield to undergo
a pumping and recognition. For this
purpose the marshal of Kansas City,
with Bob Ford and others, went to see
them, The money was all recovered.
Their experience is likely to cost them
their lives.
Mr.. Leary has go much to narrate Of
the incidents and accidents of this late
adventure of his, that it is not probable
that he will try his experience among
the banditti and vigilantes in Missouri
again in hurry.