The Saline County journal., 1890-03-06
REIRIBUTION.

A Valley Fails Bank Robber shot 20
Death while Resisting Arrest. BE En-
Joysd ~. III-Gottsn Gains About
Twelve HOurs-A Little Too Careless.
MERIDEN, Kan, March 3.-The
citizens OF this quiet little tswn
ere wild with excitmeDt yesterday
over the shooting and killing Of =
man supposed to be Robert Robert
son by officers frsm Valley Falls.
Saturday u young man OF medium
build aud light sOmplsxi0a dressed
i'm semi-eowboy costume with lssth-
er csAt aud heavy cap was Ia and
around Valley Fails. He visited the
banks without transActing any busi-
ness; bought a red bsndanA at one
OF the dry goods stores; hired a rig
and drove about the town aud late
In the afternoon returned to the
bank Of Hicks, Gephart d Co., with
his red handkerchief bound over
his mouth. lie asked the cashier to
allow him TO warm by the bank
stove. The stranger remained sew
eraI hours, explaining that he hsd
neuralgia and wished to see DIR.
Gephart, one Of the bankers.
The cashier completed his work
and was on the point OF putting the
money In the vault when the strang-
eF covered him with two big revOl-
vers and told him TO throw up his
hands, Cashier Conn laid down the
money, about $3,OOO. The robber
also compelled his victim to give
MIN the door key and backed out
locking the door after him. The
cashier escaped as quickly as he
could, informed the officers aud
telegraphed the descriptions Of the
robber In several directions.
At II 30 o'clock that night the
depeTado walked into the waiting
room Of the santa Fs here aud greet
cd the operator with:
"I'm a slick 'un."
Telegraph Operator Taylor heard
those words addressed To him by
stranger while he was receiving
messages at the railway station. He
paid no attention TO the remark un-
iil he had completed the message on
which he was engaged, which read
a. follows:
To THE SHERIFF, MeTidsp, Kan.
Hicks d GepherI's bank at Valley
Falls, KaH., robbed this evening OF
1900. RObber unknown. Descrip-
ton as follows: Blonde, light hair
and nustaehe; blue eyes; five feet
eleven tall; medium weight.
SHERIFF.
The operator looked up aud nearly
lost his breath when he saw stand
ing before him the very man des-
cribed In the dispatch. He did not
reveal the fact of the recognition,
but merely agreed with the stranger
that he was q "slick 'un." The
stranger inquired the time Of the
next train for Atchi-On, aud asked
where he could put up for the night.
The operator directed him to 9
hotel where the "slick 'uu" took q
room without registering, request
ing that lie be called at O'Clock ip
the morning In time for the Atcbi-
son train.
Local police Officers, Smith aud
Summerfield, who had also received
instructions from Valley Falls To
arrest any suspect, were informed
by the operator OF the presence Of
the stranger at the hotel. Aiming
themselves with Winchester rifles
they went To the hotel, waited under
the "sliek 'un's" window until II
o'clock, and then going to the hetsl
Office acquainted the proprietor
with their intention to arrest his
guest.
He came down without appearing
10 apprshend his danger, but when
two shot guns were leveled At bim
aud he was told to threw up his
hands, he made q grab for his revol-
Ysrs and at the same time both guns
were discharged, killing him in
stantly.
The inquest was held and the
coroner's jury pronounced the kill
ing lawful aud justifiable.
The money was found In his boots.
His body Is held for Identification
aud u net claimed he will be buried
at this place by the county.