The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-24
And Because 1t Was Refused, Drew
Revolver and at the Second Shot
Killed the Bank Employe.
THE MURDERER WOUNDED
Captured by the Police and Iden-
titled as Noted Criminal.
st. Louis Banks and Merchants Victim
lied by a Trio of Skillful FOrgers
Who Cashed Bogus Checks.

SAN FRANCISCO, March pa man
went into the branch office of the San
Francisco Savings Union, which is situated
at the corner of Market and Polk streets,
about 9:30 o'clock this morning. He pre-
sented a written demand for money to
Cashier W. NJ. A. Herrick. The demand
was refused, whereupon the desperate
murdered the cashier and fled, but was
captured a few blocks away. The note pre-
sented to the murdered cashier read as
follows:
''Mr. Cashier-After considering my de-
plOrable condition / am convinced that this
life is not worth living without desperate
means, and, therefore, l am resolved to
make one more effort to seek help to sus-
tain my miserable existence. Should you
not comply with my demand ,ad1 | am com com
of nitroglycerine-and to bury myself un-
der the ruins of the building, blasted to
"A DESPONDENT MAN
This note was penned in red ink. and at
the bottom was rudely sketched a skull
and crossbones.
After glancing at the document, Herrick
turned to the man with shake of his
head. The man drew a revolver and fired,
but his aim was bad. HerTick seized his
pistol which lay beside his desk. The CASH
ier and desperate fired at each other al
most simultaneously. The former missed,
but the latter's second shot found its mark.
The bullet passed into Herricks heart. AS
the murderer turned to flee, Bookkeeper c.
S. Melvin drew a pistol and sent a num-
Der of bullets after him, two of which took
effect The assassin was pursued from the
scene by a large crowd of people, among
whom were a number of police officers. The
fugitive jumped into a wagon and drove
several blocks. Finally he turned into a
blind alley and was forced to abandon the
wagon. He jumped over a fence into a
yard and crawled under a vacant house.
There the officers located him, and, though
the murderer had pistol in his possession,
he surrendered.
Upon the prisoner were found two 45-cali-
bre pistols, belt full of cartridges, a dirk
knife, a razor and fuse, such as is used
to ignite dynamite Upon being taken to the
city prison he gave his name as Fred Ben
nett, and said he came here from Denver
last week. He had been seriously wounded
by AIelvins bullets, one striking his tenn
pie, near the eye, the other lodging in his
left shoulder 1t was not long before the
police recognized in their prisoner des-
perate criminal for whom the authorities
had been searching for some time. He
proves to be none other than the notorious
F'redericks, ex-convict, who was for a
long time a confederate of the bandit, Chris
Evans. He killed Sheriff Pascoe, and sub
sequently killed Southern Pacific brake
man named Benjamin Bruce. He is the
man who supplied the arms TO George Son
tag and his companions at the time they
made their futile attempt to escape from
prison. Frederick's last victim, Cashier Her
rick, was thirty-five years of age, and re-
sided in Oakland.