The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-22
CHARLES MTLLFN.

CHARLES MULLEN. FRANK BENNETT.
HARRY FEATHERsTONE. JOHN CoRBETT.
team and ran "across prairie" again. It
was in fact very sensational chase, and
though the robbers began and ended their
flight in busy streets, they traversed some
fine open spaces only to be caught with
the piunder on them.
1t was just noon when the cashier and
other high officials of the Merchants EX-
change bank, of South Chicago, went to
their lunch, leaving the bookkeeper, Frank
Lynn, alone in the place and the doors of
the vault unlocked The strong box in the
vault, containing some $4,000, was locked,
but near it on the shelves were 81 900 in
currency, in two packages, and 5000 in coin.
The building is on the corner of Ninety
second street and Commercial avenue.
Bookkeeper Lynn, pale and very quiet
lad of q, was sitting on his stool, his face
buried in his book, when his attention was
called, and, looking up, he saw two men
moving rapidly toward the door that opens
through the railing to the inner section,
while a tail, blonde man stood at the cash
ier7s window pointing two revolvers at
him, with profane order for him to keep
still.
Lynn, however, moved toward the
drawer which held his revolver, but by
this time the two confederates were in the
compartment. One fell upon him while the
other grabbed the money. Lynn was
kicked and beaten to insensibility, then
thrown into the vault, and the door was
closed. As the robbers went out .ney met
Walter Willis, bank employee, coming in.
He saw evidences of robbery, opened the
safe door, and heard the faint cry of
Lynn, THE bank is robbed" The alarm
was given at once, but the robbers were far
away They had stolen a horse ana cart
and located it near the bank The hue
and cry was raised, for the street was fcll
Of people, and within five minutes Lieut..
Jenkins of the South Chicago avenue
station, with a squad of bluecoats, was in
the patrol wagon and going at full gallop
in the direction indicated by many who
had noticed the mad speed of the previous
flight.
The robbers were a mile ahead and pro.
vided for relay, but they were doomed,
for they had stolen a very old horse and a
rather conspicuous cart, and were sighted
before they could make the change. This
part OF their plan was rather ingenious.
At the corner of Cottage Grove and South
Chicago avenues one Charles Mullen, a
suspicious character" but not yet con-
victed OF crime, fingered with his covered
butcher wagon. The robbers reached him
and made the transfer quickly; the horse
Ihey left dropping in the shafts from ex-
haustion then with a fresh team and Null
Zen for driver they broke for the open
prairie.
But the alarm had been sent in all direc-
tions, and the police had obtained fresh
team. As the robbers changed a faint yell
was borne to their ears, and down the road
came flying he load of bluecoats, the bare
headed driver leaning on the front board
and flashing the team at every jump. The
main point in the strategy-changing be-
fore the police could sight them-had
failed, and il was henceforth only race,
hot and interesting. On Woodlawn avenue
the robbers threw away their overcoats;
then two of them jumped out and took it
afoot across prairie lots Mullen and the
other were soon captured. The thief was
John Corbett, and he had $50 of the banks
money in his pocket.
The other two were run TO cover and
captured in a new house, after having shot
one man in the thigh. The big blonde
proved to be Harry Featherstone, alias
Hennessey. His companion, who pounded
Bookkeeper Lynn, is Frank Bennett.
These two are professional crooks, but
Corbett is unknown TO the police. And it
was soon proved that the two professionals
were the men who robbed the Allerton
Packing company on Dec. g. They got
away with s., 200