Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-08-13
BOLD ROBBERY.
Startling and Dramatic Robbery OF
an Ohio Bank
ONE NAN KILLED, TWO WOUNDED.
The Robber Grabs $1,000 in Greenbacks
and Escapes-Exciting Pursuit and
Failure to Capture-His
Description.

LIMA, O., Aug. 10-The boldest bank
robbery attempted and murder ever
perpetrated in this section of the coun-
try occurred Saturday morning at
Columbus Grove, town of about 2, 600
people, twelve miles north of here
Soon after the Exchange bank opened
q stranger entered a hardware store
which adjoins the bank and asked for
two revolvers After loading them he
pointed them at the proprietor's head,
telling him to take his pay out OF that
He then entered the bank.
Cashier T. j. Maple had just opened
the bank, of which his father is propri-
etor, and laid out about 81, 600 near the
cashiers window, when the man ap-
peared at the door with revolver In
each hand and Immediately began shoot
ing. Maple was struck twice, once In
the arm and once in the right side
As the cashier fell to the floor an old
farmer William Vandercook, aged 90,
entered the door, having come to get
his money for some hogs he had Just
sold. The robber turned and shot him
through and through.
Quite a crowd had been attracted by
the sound of the shots, but there was a
scattering when the wild eyed muir
derer appeared on the street. having a
revolver in each hand and shooting in
discriminatory. One of the bystanders,
Henry Buck, failed to get out of the
way fast enough and was struck down
by bullet
The fellow ran to the outskirts of the
town and disappeared into big corn
field
The desperate is described as being
short and heavy-set, with full face and
small black mustache. He wore a
black alpaca cap, a black sack coat,
blue trousers, with a white stripe, and
no vest He appeared to be about SO
or 35 years old
A posse was quickly organized and
started in pursuit Another posse
started from West Cairo and at this
time Sheriff O'Neil1 and Chief of Police
Aplas organized an armed band here to
assist in the search.
At Has o'clock at night the robber
was still at large and the chase was
abandoned until daylight Almost
| everybody in the northern part of Allen
county was out all day looking for the
desperate. He was alone and on foot
! and track of him has been obtained at
different points. A dozen cornfelds
| and woods were surrounded and when
| a capture was thought certain the
| rogue, like the will-o-the-wisp, made
his escape. 1t is not thought he car
get away and if caught he will be dealt
| with severely.
| The authorities of Columbus Grove
| will offer a liberal reward for the capt
ure of the robber-murderer. He is de-
scribed as about feet inches tall
with thin dark mustache and weighs
| about 165 pounds. He was seen in the
| Grove the day before the robbery and
| claimed to be a silk hat member.
THE RoBBER NOT CAUGHT.
CLEVELAND, O., Aug. 10.-Cashiel
| Maple, of the Columbus Grove bank
who was assaulted by the desperate
expects to be about to-day.
! William Vandercook, the injured
| farmer, died at his residence Saturday
night.
| A special from Lima states that tn.
murderer has been traced to thicl
forest near Ada and may be captured
to-day. There is an idea that he has al
ready been enabled to get near enough
to a railroad to escape. 1t is believed
that he is one of the Mervin Kuhn
gang.