Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-30
A BOLD BANK-ROBBER.
He Made His Demand in
Broad Daylight.
A COOL $4,000 HAUL SECURED.
The Highwayman and the Stages
Robber 0vershadowed by
this New Operator.
/ Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD I

ana most SUCCESSFUL Dank robbery ever
reported in the West, was perpetrated
upon the First National Bank, at Q
O'Clock this afternoon, by which the rob-
Der succeeded in getting away with
$21 900.
The cashier of the bank, in an inter-
view with an Associated Press reporter,
a few minutes a'.ar the robbery, gave the
account of the affair: Yester-
day morning, Immediately after the
opening of the bank, q well-dressed
man, with light moustache and COM
plexion, and of medium height, walked
into the bank, and asked Assistant Cash
Ter Ross levin where he could see Mr..
Moffatt, the president of the bank. Ross
levin informed him that he could see
Mr.. Moffatt (who is also President of the
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad) at
the Presidents office, in the Cheeseman
block. Nothing more was seen or heard
of the stranger until this morning, about
10 O'Clock, when he entered the railway
office and asked to see Mr.. Moffatt on
important business. He was admitted
into his private room, and briefly stated
that he had discovered conspiracy
whereby the First National Bank wac to
be robbed of large amount of money
Mr.. Moffatt told the man that he was
very busy at that moment, but would be
pleased to meet him at his private Office
in the bank at / O'Clock. With this
the man left the building.
A few minutes after the hour appoint
ed, he called at the bank and was shown
into the Presidents Office. While re-
naming standing, he inquired if Cashier
S. N. Wood was in, and was told that he
was at lunch. He then asked for blank
check for the purpose of showing how
the robbery was to be perpetrated. The
check was handed him, when he laid it
upon the desk in front of Mohatt and
said, 81 will have to do this myself"
and pulling large revolver from his
coat placed it at Mr.. Moffatt's head and,
in a decidedly earnest but unexcite0
manner, said: 81 want $21 600 and l
am going to have it. / have considered
this matter and the chances | am run.
ming and the consequences if | fail and am
arrested. l am penniless, and desper-
ate man, and have been driven, during
the past week, to that point where L
have considered suicide as the only
means of escape from the poverty and
lions, and l am determined to have what
l asked for, or your life. If you make
noise, call a man, or ring bell, | will
the building and myself with this bottle
pulled out cf another pocket. Now take
your choice I" Moffatt started to argue
with the man, but was stopped with the
information that il was useless, and that
he had but two minutes to fill out
the check before him for $21,-
600 if he desired to live. Moffatt
seing no other alternative, filled out the
check, and was ordered to take it to the
paying teller and get it cashed. Mr..
Moffatt left his office, and with the man
walking behind him with the revolver par
TALLY cooked under his overcoat and with
the muzzle almost against Mofatt's back,
marched him up to the counter and up to
paying-teller Kelley with the request the
check be Immediately cashed. They
then re-marched into Moffatt's Office,
without attracting the attention OF
the fifteen or twenty clerks, who were
busy at work within two feet of where
they passed. After they had remained
in the private Office three or four min
utee, the robber informed Mr..
Moffat that they were wasting
time and that he had better step to the
door and motion his teller to come to
him, which he did. Mofatt instructed
him to bring the money into the office,
and as the teller turned to go away the
robber told him he wanted $21 900 in
bills and 81 900 in gold. The money was
brought in and handed over to the gen.
tleman who for few brief moments had
owned the bank, and he, waiting until
the teller had reached his desk, backed
out of the front door, making Mr.. Moffatt
remain standing n his door until he had
reached the curbstone. He then raised
his hat and walked around the corner,
and has not yet been heard OF.
Mr.. Moffatt is completely prostrated
with the shock. Detectives are out after
the man, but no trace of him has been
found.
Up to IL O'Clock tonight there were no
new developments in the case. The po-
lice. while diligently endeavoring to get
clue to the robber, are completely baf-
fled and nothing has been heard or seen
of the man since he walked out of the
bank at O'Clock. S. N. Wood, cashier
OF the bank, and Mr.. Kelly, paying tel
Ter, were seen tonight, and when ques-
Jluuou upon JH0 Cdb6, hdlu tnoy Couiu bay
nothing, as they knew nothing at all
about it until after Mr.. Moffat gave the
alarm and after the robber had fled.
They both saw man walk behind the
counter with Mr.. Moffat, but nothing IN
the appearance of the man nor his ac-
tions appeared strange and he did not
particularly attract their attention; con-
they thought nothing of it.
DENVER, March 29.-The man who
committed the robbery at the First
National Bank this afternoon introduced
himself to President Moffatt as P. M.
Wells. The name, however, is probably
assumed. u.s.
A moment after the alarm was given
by Mr.. Moffat, a man started rapidly up
Sixteenth street from the bank followed
by crowd and several officers. He was
to room IA, Halleck & Howard
block, where he and two companions
were arrested and taken to the station
house. Mr.. Moffat arrived at police
about O'Clock, and after
a glance at the prisoner said he was not
the man, and he was Immediately re-
leased. The prisoner proved to be a
business man by the name of
Clark. The Chief of Police has offered
81, 800 reward for the arrest of the robber,
and gives the following description of the
man: Age 80, height feet s inches,
Swarthy complexion, weight lao pounds,
honuu II.