Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-08-14
An Ohio Bandit.
lie SHOOTS BANK CASHIER, KILLS
FARMER AND ESCAPES WITH 81 500.

lie SHOOTS BANK CASHIER, KILLS A
FARMER AND ESCAPES WITH 81 500.
TOLEDO, ONO. Aug. 9-Thomas j.
Maple, cashier of the Exchange Bank at
Columbus Grove, Ohio, opened the bank a
flew minutes before the usual time yester-
day morning in order to accommodate
William Vandebark, farmer, aged sixty
years, who wanted a check cashed and
who lived some distance in the country
and wished to get home. Mr.. Maple had
opened the bank vault and was placing
the currency on the counter, which IS
protected by wire screen, when a
stranger entered Mr.. Yaudebark was
standing on the outside of the counter al
most directly in front of the door. AS
the bandit came in be drew two heavy
reyolvers, and leyeling them at Mr. Ma
ple ordered him TO hold mp his hands,
Mr.. Maple at first thought it was a town
boy Joking, but soon lodged down behind
the counter, and Mr. Vandebark. OF whom
the robber bad taken no notice, sDrang
toward the door, probably with the in
tention Of giving an alarm. As he did so
the man wheeled and fired at him, killing
him instantly.
By this time Mr. Maple had recovered
his first fright and was attempting to
close the door of the vault when the rob
Der fred twice at him, both shots taking
effect-one in the arm and one in the
right side near the hip. Mr.. Maple fell
to the floor. and the rObber ran behind
the counter and seized $500 which Mr..
Maple had been unable to replace in the
safe. A crowd had begun to gather, at
tracted by the shooting, but the bandit.
flourishing his reyolyers, sprang through |
it and dashed down the street.
Henry Buck had ran up street on
hearing the commotiOn and reaching the
main street just as the murderer came
along. Evidently thinking Bucks pur
pose was to stop him the man fired at hlm,
hitting him in the leg and seriously
wounding him. Other passers by kept
carefully out of the way, and the man
made his way to the woods at the edge OF
town, where he disappeared. Aposse was
quickly got together and searched in the
woods in the vicinity. All day kilograms
were sent to the authorities of reighbor-
ing towns. Late last night the search
was given up.
Messrs. Vandebark and Maple were
highly respected and prominent citizens.
Bucks wound IS not believed to he fatal.
Before going to the bank the robber en-
tered Crawford's hardware store, next to
the bank, and bought two 32-calIbre re-
yovers, telling the proprietor he was
going 10 paint the town red. He then
turned on Mr.. Crawford who saved HIM
self from being shot by lodging behind a
counter.
Ia later hour t,nipbt il is learned that
the desperate is beyond reach and it is
questionable If he is ever caught at all
After the chase was given up last night,
the man stopped with some labOrers build
Ing pipe line about two miles east Of
Beaver Dam and at the crossing of the
Lake Erie Railroad at point one mile
west of Bluf'ron. He went INTO pasture
and stole black mare at l O'Clock this
morning, four miles east of Button. Then
he followed farmer and his family home
who had been attending a show, and
with his ready revolver compelled them
to get him a meal. The stolen hose was
tied to tree by a rope halter during his
stay at this place and an attempt was
made to buy a buggy aud harness or even
q birdie from the farmer, but the attempt
was in vain. 1t is highly probable that
the hunted man has rode his horse into
Findlay, jumped a train and is by this time
far away. 1t was almost noon today be-
fore the theft of the horse was discovered |
and much later when the direction taken
was learned. Hundreds of men were in /
the chase where there were ten yesterday |
and time was all spent beating about the |
bushes from which the murderer had fled. |