Evening journal., 1895-03-07
ROBBED A STATE BANK
A Bold Raid by Two Despera-
does In Iowa.
ONE KILLED, THE OTHER CAPTURED

Brought TO Bay In a Barn--one Robber
Would Not Surrender and Died Fight
ing His Aocompiice Was Mere Boy
and May he Lynched.
ADEL Ia, March "A desperate and
partly successful attempt was made here
60 rob the Adel State hank. A few min
utes before 8 O'Clock two strangers drove
into town and tied their team near the
public square They got out. and with
out attracting any particular attention
stepped into the bank The cashier, S.
NJ Leach. had just taken from the vault
the currency for the days business. c.
D. Bailey, leading merchant was writ
ing at a desk in tho lobby. They were the
only occupants Of the bank.
One Of the strangers stopped up to the
cashiers window and said he wanted to
deposit some money. Almost the same
instant the other robber who was behind,
levelcd a gun and shot at Leach. the charge
taking effect in his shoulder He then or
dered the cashier 30 hand over tho money.
The latter handed over small sack OF
silver, and then, though badly wounded,
seized drawer containing about SO, 600
in gold and currency, and staggering to
the vault he pitched the money in and
shut and locked the door Weak from the
loss of blood he then fell TO the floor.
One Of the robbers now sprang over the
counter and began shoveling all the mon
ey in sight int5 a sack. and the one with
the gun turned TO Mr. Bailey, who was
still standing at the desk, and fired shot
at him, wounding him in the neck. He
fell TO the floor and the robber shot at his
prostrate form. but missed him.
Fired at the Robbers.
BY this time a crowd had gathered ont
side, and the two robbers one carrying
| the money and the other welding the gun
made rush for their buggy. Fully so
shots were fired at them, but none appar-
emily took effect. They coolly got into
their buggy. and still keeping the crowd
at hay drove rapidly away. Several men
sprang upon horses and followed, and a
running fight ensued.
About four miles south of town the
buggy driven by the robbers struck tree
and broke wheel The robbers, still
| closely pursued, abandoned their rig, and
one hid behind bank, where he was soon
| captured, and the other, with the gun,
ran into barn near by. The barn was
| surrounded, but the bandit held the crowd
| at bay He was called upon to surrender,
| but resolutely refused, and said he would
1 never be taken alive After a parley the
crowd partially united the captured robbei
| and compelled him to set fire to the barn
| The advancing flames finally forced his
| confederate TO come out, but he still refus
ed to surrender. and the crowd of citizen:
fred a volley at him. He fell dead, pierced
by three bullets.
It was with the utmost difficulty tha
the angry crowd was prevented from
| wreaking vengeance on the robber whit
was alive. but Sheriff Payne hustled hin
into buggy and drove rapidly back Il
town. A crowd Of several hundred has
gathered at the jail when the sheriff reach
ed there with his prisoner.
There were loud cries Of "Shoot him =
"Hang himr" but the officer managed L
elude the mob and landed his trembling
prisoner safely behind the bars.
The captured man, or rather boy-fo
he Is only 10 years of age-has made
complete confession. He says his name
| Charles W. Crawford and his home nca
Patterson, In Madison county. The dea
robber is 0. p. wilkins, and he was rC
leased only f0w weeks ago from the Mir
nesota penitentiary at Saltwater wher
no served three years for robbery.
A shotgun Their Only Weapon.
Crawford says their only weapon was
repeating winchester shotgun carried b
| wilkins, and the testimony Of witnessC
bears out this statement He claims
have been ooerced into assisting Wllkin
and says he went TO IndianOla last MOI
day morning for the purpose of robbin
the bank there, but he refused at the la
moment after reaching the town, and tt
Job was abandoned.
They staid Tuesday night with farm
or living a few miles southeast of hei
aud then drove to town. Their team WI
stolen from the prisoners uncle. They S
cured only about $500 from the bank, an
this money was all found where their bul
gy broke down.
Tt is not believed that either Bailey
Leach is fatally hurt The latter receive
= fun charge Of shot in the shoulder, MAJ
ing a bad but not dangerous woun
Bailey was shot In the neck, the flesh an
skin being torn away air, st to the win
pipe He will recover y 'ess inilamm
tion sets IN