The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-24
Cashier of the First National Bank Held
Up by Two Men and Little Over
$1,000 Hurriedly Secured.
BATTLE ON THE OUTSIDE
Between Officers Assisted by Citi-
ZenS and Two "TerrOrizers."
One of the Robbers and Member of the
Attacking Party Killed and Four
Others Seriously Wounded.

LONGVIEW, Tex, May 23.-At 8 p. m.
to-day two rough-looking men walked into
the First National Bank, one with a slick
err on, with a Winchester concealed in its
folds. He handed the following note to
President Joe Clemmons:
This will introduce to you Charles Speck-
elmeyer, who wants some money and is
going TO have H..
The note was dated Home May 2s." and
signed "B. & F." 1t was written in pencil
in a fairly good hand, on the back of
printed poster. The bank cashier thought
it was an importunate subscription to some
charity, and started to donate, when the
robber pointed his Winchester at him and
told him to hold UP. The other robber
rushed into the side wire door and grabbed
the cash. Thomas Clemmons and the other
bank officials were ordered to hold up their
hands. The robbers hurriedly emptied the
vaults securing $1,000 and three ten-dollar
(So. 81, nine twenty-dollar (No. 2O and
seven unsigned Longview bank notes. which
may lead to detection.
While the robbery was going on two of
the bandits were in the rear alley of the
bank shooting at every one who appeared,
and were being fired on by City Marshal
Muckley and Deputy Will Stevens. One of
the thieves was killed. The firing made the
robbers in the bank very nervous, and they
hurried the bank officials out and told them
TO run to the horses and to mount This
was done in order to keep the posse from
shooting but as bullets flew thick and fast
the bankers tore loose and ran around the
corner, with several shots after them.
GEORGE BUCKINGHAM who was firing
at inc ROBBERS, was snot ana killed. w .il.s :
ne was down the robbers shot at him sew
CITY MARSHAL MUCKLEY. who was
shooting at another robber, received a Win
glanced from silver dollars he had in his
pocket which may save his life. The ball
passed through the cavity.
J. w. MQUEEN, a saloon keeper, think
ing the shots were for fire, ran out in the
alley and was shot in the body, and, 1T is
thought, mortally wounded:
CHARLES s. LEONARD was walking
through the courthouse yard and was shot
in the leg necesstating amputation.
THEODORE SOMERS was shot in the
left hand.
Deputy Will Stevens was not hurt, though
he stood in short range and killed one Of
the rubbers. The bankers all escaped un-
hurt except T. Z. Clemmons, who. In the
scuffie with the robber. got his hand in the
hammer of the robbers pistol, which came
down and cut a hole in his hand.
The robbers who stood guard in the al
ley would yell at every one who came in
sight and shoot at them instantly. When
the robbers rode away and saw one of
their comrades dead they remarked: Poor
Bennett Is dead The body of the dead
robber was soon identified as George Ben
nett, a reckless fellow who had been here
some months ago and married daughter
of a respectable farmer living near this
place but left her and went to Indian Ter
ritory The dead robber was dressed like
a cowboy, with high-heeled boots and spurs
and had on a belt full of cartridges and
two double-action revolvers. His horse,
which was captured, had three hundred
rounds of ammunition strapped to the sad
dle Another of the robbers, the man who
gave President Clemmons the note, was
identified by several here. He married a
respectable young girl in Pamela county
last fall but later went to Mexico and has
not been heard of since until to-day. He
was we'll known, having worked near here.
1t is thought Bennett has a relative in
the gang. If so only one man remains to
be identified.
Phe robbers rode rapidly out of town,
displaying their firearms and the money
they had secured An armed posse was
soon in pursuit. and when last heard of
was fifteen minutes behind them. The
bank offered $500 for their arrest, dead or
alive, and the citizens supplemented the
amount by 5000. Deputy John Howard was
| shot at fifteen times. but was not hurt.
| He emptied his pistol several times and
| wounded one of the robbers in the face
| No less than two hundred shots were fired
| The robbers started out of town going by
| the home of George Bennett. They met a
| farmer four miles north Of here and took
| his hat and gave him the old one and told
| him to tell the posse TO come on, that they
| were going to keep on the big road