Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-02-19
THE EYE THAT NEVER SLEEPS
Tracking Daring Bank Robbers
Month After month-A Romantic
Story of Crime.

Tracking Daring Bank Robbers
! Month After month-A Romantic
/ story of Crime.
Since the first day of August, 1883,
detectives have been on the trail OF
/ four of the most daring bank robbers
whose bold exploits have been on
every tongue, and the second one was
gathered IN few days ago. In the
afternoon of that day well dressed
man ste pped briskly to the counter of
/ the First National Bank at Coldwatcr,
Mich, and asked to be accommodated
with 800 for some small bills.
Counting the roll, the cashier handed
it back, remarking there was 81 short,
Il think not, " the stranger replied,
counting the money over quite slowly.
Happening to turn round sthe cash
Ter saw man going through the vault.
Before he could give the alarm. how
ever, there was revolver at his head,
third man sprang in the door, and
8 moment later the trio ran from the
bank, carrying away a large sam of
money and a $4,000 package of
diamonds. They drove rapidly away,
pursued a few minutes later by the
City Marshal and the cashier. Five
miles from the 9th they were overs
taken, but being four to two forced
their pursuers 10 drive back empty
handed. The robbery was turned
over 10 Pinkerton S National Detective
Agency in this city, where two of the
men were recognized as Eddie Quinn,
Chicago sneak thief, who had been
operating with a successful gang of
bank robbers in the east, and Joe
Howard, alias Joe Kilrain, one of the
same gang. The third was identified
as being one of the thieves connected
with the robbery of the Quincy bank
in 1878, but nothing could be learned
of the fourth man.
The Pinkerton agency did not take
the case, but about year ago Quinn
was arrested by a Pinkerton operative
for burglaring the jewelry store of f.
Vail & Co., at Laporte, Ind. Last
summer Howard was run down at
Binghamton, n. Y, by another Pink
erton man, but escaped while extradi-
ton papers were on their way, only to
fall into the clutches of the same
operative in Philadelphia. Quinn
was identified as one. of the three men
who robbed the Coldwater bauk, but
was tried for the burglary of the jew
elry store, and sent to the penitentiary
for ten years. Howard is in Jail at
Philadelphia, awaiting requisition
from Michigan. He has black his
tory. Coming from a wealthy and
aristocratic family fast life soon sent
him to the dogs and he fell in with
gang of burglars. 1t was not long
before his education, ability, shrewd-
ness and boldness put him at the head
of band of outlaws who soon made
theiriname terror ia the east. Fifteen
robbery at Waterford, n. Y, and
after his release committed a burglary
at Barre, VT, for which his pal is now
serving a II years sentence, but he
escaped. He put up the job on the
Kensington bank of Philadelphia,
that turned out 50 successful. Two of
the gang. in full policemen's uniform,
in weighed the two watchmen into the
clutches of their pals, when the bank
was thoroughly rihed.
Twelve years ago Howard, then an
escaped convict from the Auburn, n
Y, penitsntiary, robbed the Catholic
Beneficial Bank of Philadelphia of a
vast amount of wealth, and little
later he let gang that "bucked" and
gagged the cashier of the First
National Bank of Wilmington, Del,
with all his family, and forcing the
cashier, with pistol at his head, to go
to the bank and unlock the vault.
They were surprised by posse of
policemen and citizen, however, and
the whole gang was captured, each
receiving twelve years in the peniten-
tiary. They went to prison in New
Castle. Del, but one night tug was
sent from Philadelphia and several
of them, including Howard, was
rescued. He was arrested in Chicago
about two years ago by Detective
Horace Elliott, but there was no
charge against him and he was
released. Howard will probably be
safely planted for the Michigan rob
berry.