Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 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 s-ExcitIng Pursuit and
Failure to Capture-HIs
Description.

LIMA, O., Aug. 1O-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 1000
people, twelve miles north of here.
Soon after the Exchange bank opened
| a 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, andf1ai out about $1,000 near the
| cashier's window, when the man APP
/ peareA at the door with revolver in
eachnand and Immediately began shoot
| ing. Maple was struck twice, once in
| 1.-THE arm and once in the right side.
IS the cashier fell to the floor an old
iSfarmer, William Vandercoolk, aged 90,
aRtered the door, having come to get
his m01ey for some hogs he had just
sold. The rob6er tnYned and shot biz
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-se with full face and
a small black mustache. He wore a
black alpaca cap, black sack coat,
blue trousers, with white stripe, and
no vest. He appeared to be about 80
or S5 years old.
A posse was quickly organized and
started in pursuit Another posse
started from West Cairo and at this
time Sheriff O'Nein and Chief of Police
Aplas organized an armed band here to
assist in the search.
At 11:45 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
desperado. 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 can
get away and if caught he will be dealt
with severely.
The authorities of Columbus Grove
will offer liberal reward for the capt
ure of the robber-murderer. lie 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 mender.
THE RoBBER NOT CAUGHT.
CLEVELAND, O., Aug. 1O.-Cashier
Maple, of the Columbus Grove bank,
who was assaulted by the desperado,
expects to be about to-day.
William Vandercook, the injured
farmer, died at his residence Saturday
night
A special from Lima states that the
murderer has been traced to thick
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 railroad to escape. 1t is believed
that he is one of the Mervin Kuhns