The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-12-03
ROBBED A MISSOURI BANK
-Four Burglars Open a Liberty SAFE
With Dynamite.
They rako Twelve thousand Dollars and
Make Straight for TIL. River with
a Stolen Team nnd Escape
Into Kansas.

LIBERTY, No.. Nov. 2s-Four expert
craftsmen with the use of dynamite
and tho latest improved tools sue
cceded in cracking the big safe of the
First National baulr OF this city Satur.
day night and securing sum of monev
which. though it cannot be fixed def.
natcly, owing to the reticehce of the
officials of the bank. is varlouslv cs.:
mated at from $1,000 to SIS, 900 by
those who are in position to know
The burglnrs were scared away before
they had completed their work .ad
DID not get into !. the reserve ryault oil,
the safe in which was $4,000 more,
principally in gold. They had dyna.
mite and n fuse attnched to this. but
for somo unknown reason fled without
touching it off.
The first intimation OF the robbery
came at 1890 o'clock Sunday morning,
when County Treasurer Riley, who
has IN Office in the building adjoining
The bank, went TO his office. Whenllc
entered this room lie saw Innt
the wall of the building was cavinr
In, and on investigation liq
found that there had been
n terriic explosion in the bank. which
had almost wrecked both buildings.
de ut once gave tho alarm and upon
search it was learned that burglars
had been ut work successfully in the
bank. They had entered the bank by
means of skeleton keys which had
opened the back door and another
leading to tho room in which was
the vault They then drilled
holes through tho outer door of tho
vault and with charge of powder
blow out the time lock which had been
set to open on Mondny morning. In
side this was u steel door to the burg
lar-proof compartment Tho only
money known to be outside of this
door wes 5000 deposited Into Saturday
afternoon by the Liberty Building and
Loan association. They used dynamite
to effect nn entrance through tins Sec
ond door They must have used ter
rlfic charge, for the heavy steel door
was SO completely blown to pieces
that not even good sized piece OF
it has been found. This gave the
burgiurs access to nil the money
which tho bank hnd in circulation
on Saturday, and tho deposits o,
merchants on that day being un.
usually heavy, $le, 900 is considered
low estimate of what they got. On
the floor of tho bank were left several
sticks of dynamite and number oil
tools, showing that the men went oil
in a hurry.
1t was lenrned That four suspicious
looking characters had been seen IN
town Saturday afternoon and evening
who were total stranger. Two wero
old men and two were apparently
about2o Ono OF them bought u large
quantity Of putty just before dark aud
this was used with the dynamite to
deaden the sound. Leaving tho bank
tho burglars went to tho house of Mr.
Joseph Steel and stole n carriage and
team OF horses, with which they
made their escape. The sheriff and a
posse traced them rs far ns the Mil
waulsee raiirond bridge over the Mis-
souri, river at Kansas City. where the
horses were found in an almost diving
condition. having been driven furi-
ously. Here all trace of the men was
lost, but officials of Kansas City nre
wording on the case and think
they have learned who the men are.
but refuse to give names. 1t is stated
that they got across tho river by
means of bont which confedcrates
had in waiting.