The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-07
IOWA BANK HELD Up.
The Desperate Deed of Two
Robbers at Abel.
THEY SHOOT TWO PERsoFs.
Amer Getting 5000 They Flee. but Are
Pursued One Is Killed ard the
Other Captured.

Adj, Iowa. March "a desperate ard
parity sssceessfui attempt was made 10
rob the A6ei State hank this morning. A
few minutes before o'clock two stran-
gers drove into town and tied their team
near the public square WEncuS attract
iEsg any particular attenttcn shey sseppei
into she bank. The cashier. III. Leach.
had Just taken from the vault the cur
rency for the days business C. D. Bai-
ley. leading merchant. was writing al
desk ia the lobby. They we're the cniy
occupants of the hank. One OF the
strangers stepped up 10 the cashiers WIN
dow and said he wanted to deposit some
money. Almost Immediately the second
robber. who was behind. leveied shot
gun at Leach and fred. the charge taxing
effect In his shoulder. He then ordered
the cashier 10 hand over the money the
latter handed over . small sack OF silver
and then. though badly wounded seized
a drawer containing $500 In geld ana,
staggering 10 the vault. he pitched the
money In and shut and locked the door.
Weakened from the loss of blood. he TELL
10 the floor One of the robbers then
sprang over the counter and began Snow
cling the money In sight into q sack, ana
the one with the gun turned 20 Mr. bah
ley, who was still standing at the desk.
and fired a shot at him. wounding him
IN the neck. Bailey Cell 10 the floor. ana
the robber shot a, his PROSTATE form, out
missed
BY this time q crowd had collected out
side. and The robbers. one carrying the
money and the other with ieveied gun.
made a rtzste for their team. Fully nfty
shots were fired at them. but none ap-
parentIy took affect. They quickly got
into their buggy. and. skill Keeping the
crowd at bay. drove rapidly away Sew
cral men sprang upon horses and fol-
lowed, and running fight OF several
miles ensued~. About four miles south
OF town the buggy driven by the robbers
struck tree and broke a wheel The
robbers. still closely pursued. abandoned
their rig. One hid behind bank. where
he was soon captured. and tie other with
the gun ran into barn near by. The
barn was surrounded. but the bandit held
the crowd at hay. He was called upon
to surrender, hut resoIuteiy refused TO
do so. and said he would never be taken
alive. After a parley the crowd partially
united the captured robber and compelled
him TO set fire TO the barn.
The advancing flames finally forced the
robber 10 come out, but he still refused
TO surrender. and the crowd of citizens
fired a voliey 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. II was
with the utmost difficulty that the angry
geance on the robber who was alive. but
Sheriff Payne hustled him into buggy
and drove rapidly out 90 the way TO
town. A crowd of several hundred gath
cred at the Jail when the sheriff reached
here with his prisoner. There were loud
cries of ''shoot him." hang him." but
the officer managed TO elude the mob and
landed his trembling prisoner safely be-
hirs the bars.
The captured man, or rather boy, who
Is only 10 years old. has made a complete
confession. He says his name is Charles
W. Crawford. and his home is near Pat
tarson, In Madison county. The dead
robber Ia o. wilkins and was released
only u few weeks ago from the Mime
sota penitentiary at saltwater. where he
served three years for robbery. Craw-
| ford says their only weapon was a re-
peating Winchester shotgun carried by
Wilkins. and the testimony of witnesses
bears out this statement He claims to
have been c6erced into assisting wilkins,
and says they went TO Indanoia last
Monday morning for the purpose of rob-
hing the bank there, but he refused at
the last moment after reaching the town
and the Job was abandoned. They stayed
last nighs with farmer living a 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
500 from tie bank. The money was all
found wheSe the buggy broke down.
IT is not believed that either Bailey or
Leach Is fatally hurt. The latter received
a fun charge of shot in the shoulder.
making bad but not dangerous wound.
Bailey was shos In the neck the flesh
and skin being torn away almost 10 the
windpipe. He Will recover unless In
nammation sets In. Several citizens were
hurt by scattering shots fired by the rob-
hers on the way TO the buggy postfnas-
ter Barr stepped out of the postoffice lust
as the reireating robbers passed The
latter ordered him inside but before he
could comply they fired at him. one shot
striking his forearm and another pIerc-
Ing his hat and grazing his forehead.
]. Nj. Byers j. NJ. Simcoe and a boy
named Charles Decker, were also slight
ly injured. The daring robbery has
caused great excitement and the town Ia
full OF armed men, most of whom had
turned ont from neighobring towns on
the first report OF the robbery to aid in
the capture OF the robbers.