The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-30
He NEEDED MONEY.
Astounding Midday Bank
Robbery III Denver.
PISTOL AND pySAMrrE aoMR.
President Mesass Of the Denver =
Ri., GrAnsie Csmpened 80 sigx
and Cash Easek FOR sss 600.


sad laost successful oank robbery ever re'
| ported ia the West wsx perpetrafed upon
the First National hank at o'clock thiz
afternoon bs which the rohhsr succeeded
In getting away with 81 .ol0 The cashier
Of the bank, in an interview with an A.
seciaskd Press reporter few minutes after
the robbery. gave the following account Of
the affair. Yesterday morning iminedl-
assly after the opening Of the hank . we'll
dfesSsd maa with light Wussachc and
complexion and Of medium height walked
into The bank aad asked Cashier RoSz
Levin waere he could SEQ Sir. saEats, ~ho
= also president Of The Denver & Flo
Uraude railway, vt the presidents aftlee In
/ The Glieesman block
Nothing moro WAS seen or heard az tar
s,fsnsSs snm this morning ABOUT 10
o'clock. when he enseres the otfsca and
asked 70 Sce Mr.. Mesias un important busi-
ness. He WAS admitted TO his private room
ana hrlesfy stated that he had discovered 4
conspiracy whereby the FIRST National
bank wss 10 be robbed Of . large amount
Of usfmey. Mr. A0ifsss told tie man he
/ was VERY busy al thai moment. tut wonla
pe pissed To yfs=ss him 20 his sssiyase Office
nj the bank al O'clock with this tho
nan left the building a few minutes
after The hour appointed ne called Mt the
bank and was shown Into the presidents
Qusrei II Eashies NJ. H. Wood was IN aud
ssss r,id that no was az laneh he then
asked tor blank check for the purpose of
Sho*i.nS how TIE rohhsry ssas Is ha pcfpe-
tratest. The cheek was handed hfsn.
he aid i apsn the desk n frens OF Mr.
Motiatt and said. a viii have To DO this
aFsef, and pulling largsSFeseivcr from
his cteat pocket, pocket, placed IL AZ Mr..
Mefat's aesd and ia decidedly earnest
but nneNcitea manner said Il want
tsi.ooe and am going 10 have Il. have
considered this matter and the chances
am running. and the consequences II h
tail aud am arrested. I am penniicSs
and desperate man. and have been driven
dvvfng tho past week to that point where
have considered saiclde as the ofiiy means
otessaps from the poverty and raiscgy in
which exist. Yon have millions. | am
determtned 10 have what have asked FOR
or yon die. IL ron make noise, call
man Or ring bell l Will blow your
brains out and then blow up the building
aud sayseh with this bomb oil glyeerine
which he that moment pniled out of
another pocket. Now take your choicc.s
Mofatt started TO argue with the man.
but was stopped with the information that
II was useless, and that he had bar two
minstes In which 70 fin out tho cheek b.
fore aim for $2l COO II he desired 10 live.
Moffitt, seeing no other alternative. flied
out the check aud was then ordered to
take IL TO the paving teller and ret ft
eash,ad- Mr.. MofiAt left his oflice, and
with the man beside him, with the re-
yolusr partially concealed under his over.
coat AVID with the rnaxzie almost against
MofIlttrs back. marched with him behind
the counter and up tn Paying Teller
keeiey with reaaest that the check Be
Immediately eashed. They re-marche1
into Moifatfs Office without attracting the
attention Of one OF tho Is or ~ clesks who
were busy Hs work within two feet ct
where they paxsed
Afser they had remained In the private
csiicg three or four minutes the rubber In
formed Mr.. Moifatt that they were wasting
time and that he had better step % the
daoy and motion his teller 10 como to him.
which he did. Moifasf instructed him 20
bring the money into his once. and q the
teller turned 10 go away the robhcr told
him that he wanted s20.oo0 ia bills and
sloou in gold. The money was brought In
briei moment had owned the hank. and
waiting till the teller had reached his
desk, he backed out OF the front door.
making Moffatf stand in his door until he
had reached the eurhstone.
He then raised his hat ane walked
arornd the co-uer and has not been heard
OF. Mr.. Mofatt Is completely prostfatod
with the shock. Detectives are ont after
the man, but have found no trace OF hfra.
Tie man who committed the robbery at
the First National Bank this afternoon iss-
troduced himself 20 President N0liast a
c. J. Wells. The name, howcycr. was
probably assumed A moment alter the
alarm was given by Mr.. Mofsatt = nan
started rapidly up Sixteenth street from
the bank, followed by . crowd and several
Officers He was followed 20 room n. In
tho Hoilock & Howard block. whore he
snd two. companions were arrested aud
taks.n 20 the station house. Mr.. MOffhtf
arrived az police headquarters about 4
o'clock. and after glance at the prisoner
said he Was not the man and be was In
TO be well.known business man, By the
name of CLARK.
The chief of the poiiSs has offered $asSD
| reward for the arrest OF the robber and
gave the following descriptions. Age. N.
height, 3 feet. inehex: sWarthy compiler
ion weight, 40 pounds; heavy snussache.
badly suaburned: Derby hat, light brown
| oyereoat; wears long linked plated watch
chain.
The excitement over the affsir 10 intense.
Up 70 IL O'Clock 70 night there were no
bank robbery case. Tho police, while
diligently endeavorins to get q clns - the
rohber. are completely bsflied. and nothing
hsf been heard or seen Of the man since
he walked out III the bank At O'Clock.
=. H. Wood. cashier Of the bank, and Mr..
/ Kelly, paying teller, were seen tonight,
and when questioned upen the case said
| they could say nothing. IS they knew
nothing al all about II untii after Mr.
Moffatt gave the alarm. after the fsAbef
| had fied. They both saw the man walk
behind the counter With Mr.. Moffatf. but
nothing In the appearances OF the man nor
| his actions appeared strange nor parties
larry attracted their aftcntion. conso-
asssf.fly they thought nothing af II