The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-04-11
Story of q Freebooter.

4 Denver. Col, dispatch, of the 10Th,
nalrates the following remarkable story
"A bout ~ o'clock yesterday morning a
well dressed stranger entered the oilice OF
the Denver and Rio Grabde Railway and
asked for Mr.. Moifatt, the president OF the
railway company, who is also president OF
The First National l,ai k lie WAS adj
mltted 10 his private room ana DfltHy
Statt Il hat lie had dist oVeIed acohSpiTacy
Whereby The FilSt National Bank was 10
be loUUed OF Il Large amount OF money
i Ar. Mott t. told The man he was very BUSY
az hal moment, but would be pitaatd 10
SET him al his private otlice III The bank at
| Clock. WIN THIS The nIail lclI Tie
! building
A lev minutes after the hour appointed
| he called III Tue b;lnk and was shown Into
The pre- sldents oloe. Whlle rtmainllg
standing liz inquired If the cashier, 5. N
N God, was i'll, and was told That he was at
! lunch. lie THEN asked for d blank check
Tor The purpose of showing how the rob-
berry was 10 be perpetraled. The check
was Ii hdt d HIM, he laid 1t upon the desk
| in front of Mr.. Moifatt and said:
Il will have TO do This myself, and pull
ing large revolver from his coat placed
IL at Mr.. Molfatt'S head and III decidedly
earnest but uutXclttd manner said Il
want -! 900 and AIN going to have 1t; |
ave considered this matter and the
| chal ces | am runnli aud the conse-
uutit rs if TAIL and am arrested. L am
rJnniless and Il desperate MAJ. ana nave
teen dliv-n during the past Week TO That
point where | have conSdt red suicide as
the only means of escape from the poverty
and misery in which exist. You have
| I .lt,f ,,.,l n h.,yt
lave asked tor. If you make noise,
call ii man or ring a bell | will blow your
brains out and then blow up the building
and myself with this bottle Of nitro
glycerine, (Which he at that moment
pulled out of another p0ckel). Now take
your choice.
Mr.. Mctfatt started to argue with the
mail. but was stopped wi b the informa-
tion that it WAS useless, and he had but
two minutes in which to fill out the check
before him for 50 900 if he desired to live.
Mr. Moffatt, seeing 10 alternative. filled
out the check, and was then ordered to
take it to the paving teller and get II
cashed. Mr. Moffett left his Office. and
with the man behind him with the re-
volver partially concealed under his coat
and with the muZzle almost against Moi
, fat s back, marched him behind the colln-
ter aud up to Paying Teller Kelley. with
: the request that the check be immediately
cashed They then remarched into Moi
, fatt' s Office without attracting the atten-
ton of the Is or 20 clerks who were busy
/ at work within Two feet of where they
passed.
After they had remained in the private
office three or four minutes the rObber in
formed Mr.. Moffatt that they were vast
ing time, and that he had better step to
J the door and motion his teller TO come in.
which he did. Moffatt instructed him to
bring the money into his Office, and as the
teller Turned to 90 away the robber told
him he wanted twenty $1,000 bills and a
Thousand dollars in gold. The money was
brought in and handed over TO the gentle
man. who for a few brief moments had
l owned the tank, and. waiting until the
e teller had reached his desk, hr backed "a
= tie front door, making Mr.. Motf tt re
main standing in his door until he had
reached the curbstOne. He then raised
4 his hat and walked around the corner and
: has not yet been heard of Mr. Moffatt is
, | completely Frustrated with the shock
Detective are out after the man. but nc
1 trace of him has been found.
! The man who committed the robbery al
| the bark yesterday afternoon introduced
h himself 10 President Moffatt as &. j
Wells. The name, however. is probably
assumed. A moment after the alarm wa:
e given by MIR. Moffatt a man started rap
idly up Sixteenth street from the hank
a followed by crowd and several officers
= He was followed to roo II II. HallOck ant
Howard Block, where he and two com
d panions were arrested and taken to TIT
il station house.
Mr.. Motfatt arrived at police head;
=. quarters about four clock. and after
= glance at the prisoner said he was not Thu
e man, and he vas Immediately released
e The prisoner proved to be a well know
p business man by the name of Clark.
!, The chief of police has offered a reward
:, of 50, 500 for the arrest of the robber ant
II gives the following description ''Th
e mans age is 80, height feet inches
/, swarthy complexion. weight l4o pounds
10 heavy brown mustache, much sunburned
:" derby hat. light brown overcoat. wear
lorg linked. plated watch chain" Th
y excitement over the affair is intense.