The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-07
REAL BAD MEN IN IOWA
They Rob Banks and Hold Regular
Killing Bees.
SOME VERY CLUMSY WORK
The Enraged People Made Short
Work of One Fellow Who
Crawled Into a Barn and
Was 5moked Out.

DEs MONIES, Iowa, March 6.-Cashier
Leech of the Bank of Adel, was perhaps
fatally shot by two bank robbers at Adel
this morning. They escaped with an un-
known amount. A posse is in hot pursuit
and the robbers will be lynched If they
are caught.
The robbers drove into Adel about
o'clock in a top buggy and proceeded at
once to the Bank of Adel and entered and
stated that they wished to deposit some
money. Cashier 5. NJ. Leech, on looking
around. was confronted by drawn revolv-
ers in the hands of the robbers, who or
dered him to turn over the funds. lie re-
fused and they shot him.
c. ID. Bailey, a wealthy merchant, en-
tered the b ,nk and was also shot. The
robbers escaped with all the funds they
could lay their hands on. They drove out
of town, but before noon both were cap
tured. One hid IN a barn at Desota and
was smoked out and shot. Tue posse Is
returning to Adcl with the other.
OMAHA. March GA special to the Bee
from Adel, Iowa, says that Postmaster
Barr, j. NJ. Byers, Creildecker and j. l..
SImpoke were also shot. The name of
the robber killed is Lauder wilkins. Tue
other is q. w. Crawford, both of Patter-
son. Iowa. Crawford was captured in a
brush heap and was compelled to fire the
barn Wilkins was in. Tue place of cap
ture was o Neill's Crossing, six miles
southwest of Adel.
Fully fifty shots were fired at tho rob-
bers as they left town but none apparently
took effect. They quickly got into a buggy
and, still keeping he crowd at bay, drove
rapidly away. Several men sprang upon
F.ll. a rlat
of several miles ensued.
About four miles south of town, the
buggy driven by the robbers struck a tree
and broke a wheel. The robbers, still
closely pursued. alb ,ndoned the rig. One
hid behind a bank, where he was soon
captured, and the other, with a gun, ran
inton barn near by Tho barn was SUR
rounded but the bandit held the crowd at
bay. He was called upon to surrender.
but resoutey refused to do so and said
he would never be taken alive.
After q parley, the crowd partially
united the captured robber and compelled
him TO set fire to the barn. The advanc-
ing flames finally forced the robber to
come out, but he still refused to surrender
and the crowd fired volley at him. He
fell dead, pierced by three bullets. Two
took effect IN the head and one IN the side
and either would have been fatal
1t was with the utmost d fiji ,ulty that
the angry crowd was prevented from
wreaking vengeance on the robber that
was alive. But Sheriff Payne hustled hlm
into a buggy and drove rapidly out of tho
way TO town.
A crowd of several hundred gathered at
the all when the sheriff reached here with
the prisoner. There were loud cries of
A. - b.t tba ,,fTi
managed to elude the mob and landed his
trembling prisoner safely behind the bars.
The captured man, or rather boy. who is
only 10 years of age, has ma lie a complete
confession. He says his name is Charles
w. Crawford. and his home is near Pat
terson, in Madison county. The dead
robber is o. =. Wilkins, and was released
only few weeks ago from the Minnesota
penitentiary, where he served three years
for robbery. Crawford says that their
only weapon was a repeating Winchester
shot gun, carried by Wilkins. and tho tes-
tImony of witnesses bears out this state
ment. He claims to have been coerced
into assisting Wilkins and says they went
to Indianola last Monday for the purpose
of robbing tho bank there, but he refused
at the last moment aftor reaching the
town, and the job was abandoned. They
staid last night with n farmer living few
miles south of here and drove to town this
morning. Their team was stolen from
the prisoners uncle, w. w. Crawford, of
Madison county.
They secured only about 5000 from the
bank, and the money was all found where
their buggy broke down. II is not be-
lieved that either Bailey or Leach IS fatally
hurt. The latter received full charge Of
-. l.. -
not dangerous wound. Ba ley was shot
| i'm the neck, the flesh and skin being torn
| away almost to the wind pipe. lie will
recover unless Inflammation sets in.
This daring robbery has caused great
excitement. The town is full Of armed
men. most of whom had turne'i out from
| neighboring towns on the first report of
the robbery. There is still considerable
talk of lynching Crawford, but the sheriff
and leading citizens are trying to pacify
the crowd, and will probably succeed.