The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
"a BANK ROBBER KILLED.
His Pockets Full of Money and
$1,000 in His Boots.
Shot by a Policeman as He Was
Trying to Draw His Pistols.

Telegraph Operator Taylor, of Meriden,
Kan, heard the words "Tm slick un," ad-
dressed to him by stranger the other night
while he was receiving mess"sas at the rail-
way station. He paid no attention to the re-
mark until he had completed the message,
which read as follows:
t'To the Sheriff, Me7-iden, Kansas:
ttHicks e. Gephart's bank robbed this
evening of $1,000. Robber unknown. De-
Scription as follows: Blond, light hair and
moustache, blue eyes feet II tall, medium
weight. SHERIFF..
The operator looked up, and nearly lost his
breath when he saw standing before MN tne
man described in the dispatch. He did not
reveal the fact of the recognition, but merely
agreed with the stranger tnat he was p sick
The stranger inquired tne time of the
train for Atchison and asked where he
h-r,e up for the night. The operator
him to hotel, where the slick un"
a room without registering, requesting
SnaS he be called at o'clock IN the morning,
in time for the Atchison train.
Policemen Smith and Summerhcld, VINO
had also received instructions from valley
Falls to arrest any suspect, were Informed
bv the operator of the presence of the stranger
at the hotel. Arming themselves with Wln,
chester rifles they went to the hotel, waited
under the mans window until IL o'clock, ana
then. going to the Office, acquainted the pro-
nrietor with their intention to arrest
his guest. A bel-boy was sent to the
strangers room with message that IL was
time to get up to catch the Atchlson traln.
When the stranger descended to the once ne
was confronted by the policemen with VIM
chester rifles pointed squarely at his breast
He never ouiyered, but looked inqulrlnSly
around. :, r
sGThrow up your hands" Smith said. The
stranger seemed to realize his situation then,
but instead of obeying he thrust Ills handS
into both side pockets Of his overcoat to draw
the revolvers which only few hours before
had intimidated Cashier Cohn, OF the valley
Falls Bank. As the stranger made the motion
toward his weapons both Winchesters We're
discharged instantly at his breast The
stranger fell dead with one bullet through
his heart and another through the right
lung.
The Coroner was notified, and before noon
a verdict was returned generating the po-
licemen of any criminality in having caused
the death of the bank robber, seif-de1ence
being their excuse. No search of the dead
outlaws person was made until at CaShier
Cohn's request search was maoe anu tne
stolen money recovered.
In his boots were found two packages
of preenbacks of $500 each. The balance
of the money had been distributed among
his various pockets. The outlaw was
positively identified from a registered re-
ceipt dated at Burlington, KIN, as
one Robertson. The money recelpted
for had been payable to R. c. Smith at Ut
tawa, Kan. In Robertsons pocket was
watch with the initial "R" engraved upon
it. and foot rule bearing the same initial.
Full particulars of the robbery of Hicks q
Gephart's bank at Valley Falls by the daring
outlaw were received at Meriden, Kan.
stranger entered the bank at four o'clock and
asked Cashier Cohn, who was busy inside the
railing verifying the clerks accounts for the
day, that he be allowed to wait there for the
arrival Of DR.. Gephart, President or the
bank. The Cashier granted his request. A
little later the stranger remarked the ne
was suffering severely from the toothache,
placed his hand upon his fdnnel-bound race
in verifcation Of his lemark, and requested
that he be ALLOW ed to sit by the stove inside
the railing. Again the cashier, suspectlng
nothing, granted the request.
The stranger occupied his seat quietly un-
It'll the cashier, having concluded his work,
entered the vault to lock up the money and
books. When he turnod to leave the vault
he gazed into brace ofrevolvers levelled at
who coolly requested him to hand
over $4,000 on penalty Of being inn
prisoned in the vault. The cashier par.
feyed for time, but finding himself wholly
at tho mercy Of the outlaw, with death b5
suffocation in the vault as the only alte2na-
tive. he handed over all the money In the
big cash drawer, amounting to about $500.
The robber pocketed the money, locked the
front door Of the bank, made his exit from
the rear door. locking it after him, and made
his escape. He neglected to take tie front
door key with him, and it was only minute
before the cashier relased himself and gave
the alarm. The whole town turned out in
search Of the outlaw, but'he had made good
his escape.
Telegrams were sent by the Sheriff to the
authorities of the surrounding towns notify
ing them of the robbery and asking them to
arrest all suspicious persons. The outlaw fled
to Meridian, Kan, fifteen miles distant from