The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-09-09
TIE KEwANEE BANK ROBBERY.

ton of J. S. Scott on the charge of completely
in the Kewauee bank robbery. After the con-
clusion of the testimony i'm this case the parties
accused of and confessin9 to the robbery were
held for trial in the sum of $1,000;
J J. Pratt testified ms follows:
81 was engaged as Assistant Cashier in the
First National bank on August II. Miss Palmer
was assisting me at that time. We closed bust
ness about i've o'clock that afternoon. There
was about 5000 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 1t 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 20 the
vault. The other took me by the shoulder and
put me in the vault. Miss Palmer was there.
They were stuiiing rags in her mouth. One man
was WEIGH; the other did not know. Saw him
pass on Friday. Welch asked me il |
wished to see him. l told him ddnt. They
put the money in the sachel and bound my
feet, and tied IA cloth over my mouth. soon
after they left i released Miss Palmer. and
opened the door with dimes. When l got out
OF the vault the gold was all gone ard most
all of the silver Some of the silver was scat
tered about. gave the alarm. The robbery
was the result of n plan laid long before.
About year ago last spring Scott and | had
talks of dong something of this sort. lie
tllied with me Mt the gate, one evening, when
be walked h me with me- Wished to crack
Miles Minneck's safe. We talked about
drilling the safe mt the bank. experimental
at the bank and thought it cOuli 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
got them. He sent TO We CHI for drills.
Welch sent two drills and box of
fuse. They were ut SCOTS Office. This was
about two months before the forgery. scott
said WeCh 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 we
pieces of crackers SO It would be thought
so me one had lived in the tunnel. Scott also
thought we could get Il noiseless engine TO do
the drilling. We ntterward thought we could
get an internal machine into the bank by hav-
ing II wrapped up in paper j recommended
that WEIGH should come here and represent
| himself as n cGttle-buyer and cone to the
| bank and inquire if money had been sent to
| him; that we should have package sent by
express and he should deposit ii in th bank,
| ana that should take that package and put in
| its place this machine, and fix it to explode at
| any time we thought best. This was before
| and after the forgery. This was given zap. l
| first met Welch at Scotts 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
/ bunk but we concluded to do it sometime in
the daytime. Scott wished to come in the bank
ana throw pepper in my eyes when was there
alone, and 90 through the bank, but would
not consent. Thought 1t would place too much
! responsibility on me. Had talk with WEIGH
| nj the time OF the forgery. When Scott went
TO ST. Louis he promised to come and help ss
when there was 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 WEIGH had
| N n pn nd oGlx I'D IN nah oh for
| him. refused t. do this, as had no money.
| Scott wrote me later that he had given Welch
| some money and asked me to give him more. l
saw WEIGH at Galva afterward. All the letters
| we destroyed. This correspondence with Scott
was few days before the robbery. Iwrote Scott
that Welch was ready, and now was the time
to do the business. Scott wrote me to know
| what the plan was. wrote and informed him,
and he said he was afraid he would berecog.
| nized, as he was TO take part in the plan we
| had arranged. 1wrote 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 1t 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 II he took
part; if not, we We're 10 give Scott S2,OlO. Twas
to have $4,000. Welch 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. 1 had seen Welch but five
times before the robbery. ] saw him at Galva
about two weeks before the robbery Fur
niShed him money MS he needed IL.
Il. N. Wech testified as follows:
" Have been acquainted with Scott three OF
four years. Met him i'll Princeton. Saw him
in Chicago last Christmas, and have seen min
but once since, in ST. Louis in June last. He
telegraphed me to come there. Was at Kan
sas City. We had corresponded before re-
Bank. l talked with him about the robbery,
some time before he left Kewanee. 1t was
settled on the day made the forgery that
we would rob the bank, but didn't decide how
IL should be done. One plan made and
Scott was to help, but he made one at Chicago,
in which he would not help. We int .nded to
came to Kewanee to help do it, but IT was post
poned till Monday. Had talked with Scott be-
fore. He first spoke to me about the robbery.
Said he had talked with Pratt, and gave me
TO understand that Pratt was willing to help.
This was some three years ago. | told
him I would help if everything was ~ all
first plan was to put us under the counter, and
when Wentworth came in Pratt was TO give us
and was to take Pratt Another plan was to
blow the safe. We we're 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 after tax
ing the money. This was the third plan. The
second was to drill and blow the safe with
| powder. Saw Pratt at GalvH. Had talked with
Scott about it while in St. Louis. Wrote to
Scott few days after, either from Chicago
or Milwaukee. We were to gng the
girl Scott was to help us He was to gag
the young lady, and | was TO attend to
Pratt. Scott answered my letter, saying he
thought the scheme was good one and
at Peoria SAID he was some afraid TO come
here, but did not decline to help US.
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 10 Pratt that afternoon that we
would be down there on Friday Saw Pratt in
the bank the day | arrived in Kewanee. He