The morning call., 1892-09-01
How the Sheriff Of San Luis Obispe Did
Not Capture Some Thieves.
4 PLOT TO LOOT THE CAYUCOS BANK.
The Sheriff Was Told Of the Plan and Laid in
Ambush for the Outlaws, but His Men
OILY Got One Of Them.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

CAYUcos, Aug. 3l.-A daring attempt to
rob the Bank of CayucOs was frustrated
early this morning.
One OF the robbers and A. c. Mcleod,
ex-Sheriff of San Luis 0bispo County. were
shot. The robber will. probably die. put
Mcleod is not seriously hurt.
County Sheriff O'Neil and Deputy Nc
Leod. also Constable Banks and Deputy
Marshal Kues Of San Luis Obispo were
waiting and in the attempt TO arrest the
robbers the shooting took place.
To Sheriff O'Neil belongs the credit OF
discovering the plot and preventing its sue.
cess
Several days ago the Sheriff received pri-;
vate information to the effect that five men,
who were then in San Luis Obispo, and who.
were known. their names being given. In
tended to rob the Bank of Cayucos this
week. The Sheriff was put in possession OF
the full details of the plot, even the date OF
the proposed robbery being given. and he
was kept advised also as to every change In
the plans of the robbers made necessary by
unforeseen circumstances arising from day
. to day.
Accordingly, when the robbers left San
Luis Obispo last night to drive to Cayucos,
they were preceded on the road only few
hours by the Sheriff and his deputies, and
when the outlaws reached the scene of the
proposed robbery, the officers. unknown to
them, had already arrived on the ground.
Meanwhile the manager OF the Dank,
SIMMER, had been warned OF what ne had
to expect, and, as it was desired to capture
the robbers in the act--a scheme when
failed as will be seen-Simmler. before he
went home last night, emptled the safe Oh
all the money IL contained excepting S5OO,
secreting the coin in q safer place. Then
L. ;,,A, oad a mol Ith hnr
Waterman, TO occupy his bed last night and
receive the robbers, the young fellow readily
consenting to play the somewhat perllouS
part Of bank manager after he had been In
structed fully in tho details Of the plot and
told what he had to expect from the ex-
pected visitors.
On their arrival at Cayucos the robbers
went at once TO Simmler's house. and.
knocking at the door, demanded that the
manager come out. Waterman opened the
door without protest, and the r0oDers
ordered him to come out into the yard,
which he did. Then. believing him to be
clerk In the bank. they presented their re-
volvers and told Waterman, under pain OF
death, to conduct them 10 the bank ana
open the safe. They started for the bank
accordingly, and upon their arrival there
four of the robbers went inside with
Waterman, the fifth remaining outside in
charge OF the team and wagon left standing
In the street.
| The robbers, OF course, had no knowledge
4of the fact that at least an hour before this
1.-The Shertf's posse had arrived and had been
concealed Ey S:mmler In the back room OIL
/ the bank. ....-.:
1,hey went in without further preeaution
l.than the leaving of one Of their number to
guard the team, and were standing grouped
I about watching Waterman open the sale
| when the officers rushed upon them FRO IN
the rear room, covered the robbers with
81 nj Sfrlg nd ,3rClnrpf than To surrender
.aDdthrow up their hands.
The outlaws were not, however, to be so
i easily taken.
Several of them had their revolvers in
their hands and quick as a flash one OF
them, afterward ascertained TO be W.
Brown. fred shot at the officers. Before
he could fire again he was shot by Officer
Banks and fell TO the floor with mortal
wound. Brown was game, though, and
I lying ON his back on the floor fired second
shot, the ball striking ex-Sheriff Mcleod in
T the back. Then his pistol fell from his hand
aud lie took no further interest in the pro-
| ceedings.
Meanwhile, in the rush of the officers for
| the remaining robbers, the light was over
| turned and extingushed, and in the dark
ness the robbers made a rush for the street
| and attempted 10 reach their wagon.
+ HeTe more officers were ready 10 cut of
| their retreat though. strangely enough,
these officers had made no effort to capture
I the man left to hold the team-but by this
time. the noise of the shooting had aroused
| the entire town, and every man in the place.
i. ii seemed had rushed into the street. Men
/ could be seen running about in every direc-
+ tiOn, and 1t became unsafe for the officers
! tosh0ot, lest some citizen should be hit
and, besides that, it was impossible to tell,
/ in the darkness, who were robbers and who
/ were not.
In the confusion, too, the citizens en-
| deavored TO take hand in the capture, and
/ one Of these, being over-Zealous, thrust a
loaded revolver in the Sheriff's face and a
| tragedy was prevented only by the timely
| discovery of the identity of each by the
I other. The result of the confusion was, as
I was 10 have been expected, the escape OF
1 the robbers. There has been great deal OF
! dissatisfaction expressed at this escape,
after the officers had the men virtually en-
| trapped, but the efforts OF the officers were
not entirely wasted.
One Of the robbers, B.own. is prisoner,
/ and is diving here, and another, of the name
of Dunn. surrendered himself to the officers
at San Luis Obispo this afternoon. The
/ Ehiding-piace of third is known, while the
othertwo are known to the officers, and
/ their capture Is Only matter OF time. The
/ Sheriff is confident that he will be able TO
i get them without trouble.
:. McI4end's wound is only superficial, and
i he went TO his home In San Luis Obspo to-
day. =. :->
A peculiar Incident Of the affair is that
i in their hurry TO escape one of the un-
i injured members of the band, Dunn, was
left behind and had to walk to San Luis
Obispo. The team Is also reported to have
/ got into town without driver, the robbers
having probably abandoned the rig on the
4 road and taken to the brush.
i The Sheriff has teegraphed descriptions
of the three robbers In all directions with 8
E@view to intercepting them.