Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-03-14
BANK ROBBED.
Two Men Hold Up the State Bank
ct Adel, IL.
The CASHIER SHOT At HIS DESK.
The Villains Are pursusd and Ono Tasss
Refuge II Barn and 10 burned Out
sad shot, Ne Other 10 Cap.
tured Alive.

ABEL, Ia, March IA desperate and
partly sucocsstul attempt was made to
rob the Adsl state bank yesterday
morning. A few minutes before .
o'clock two strangers drove into town
and tied their team near the public
square. They got out and without a.
traetlns any particular attention
stepped Into the bank. The cashier,
8. n. Lsseh, had Just taken from the
vault the currency for the days busi.
mesa c. D. Bailey, : leading mer-
chant, Wa writing u the desk In the
lobby. They were tho only occupants
Of the bank. One Of the strangers
stepped up to the cashiers window
and said 10 wanted TO deposit some
money. Almost the ssme instant the
second robbsr, who was behind,
levslsd . shotgun 1t Leach and fred,
the charge taking effect In his shoal'
der. He then ordered the cashier to
hand over the money. The latter
handed over 4 small sackof silver, and
then, though badly wounded, seized .
drawer oontsing about 5000 In gold
and currency and, staggering to the
vault, he pitched the money in and
shut and locked the door. Weak from
loss Of blood, he then fell to the floor.
One Of the robbers now sprang over
the counter and began shoveling all
the money IN Sight Into . sack, and the
one with the gun turned to Mr.. Bailey,
who was still standing at the desk, and
fred . shot at him, wounding him In
Vie neck. BE fell to the floor and
The robbsr fred 1t bis prostrste
form, but missed him. BY this time
. crowd had gathered outside and the
two robbers. one carrying the money
and the other welding the gun, made
. rush for their buggy. Fully fifty
shots were fred u them, but none ap-
psrsntly took effect They quickly
got Into their buggy and still keeping
the crowd at bay drove rapidly away.
several men sprang upon horses and
followed and running Aght Of several
miles ensued.
About I miles south Of town the
buggy driven by the robbers struck q
tree and broke o wheel The robbers,
still closely pursued, abandoned their
rig and one hid behind bank, where
he was soon captured, and the other,
with tho gun, ran into barn near by.
The barn was surrounded, but the
bandit held the crowd at bay.
lie was called upon to sur
render, but resolutely refused and
said he would never be taken
alive. After parley the crowd par
TALLY united the captured robber and
compelled him to set fire TO the barn.
The advancing flames finally forced
him 10 come out, but he still refused
TO surrender aud the crowd Of citizens
fred vollcy 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 crowd was prevented
from wreaking vengeahce on the rob-
Der that was alive But Sheriff Payne
hustled him into q buggy and drove
rapidly back to town. A crowd OF
several hundred had gathered at the
jul when the sheriff reached there
with his prisoner. There were loud
cries Of shoot him." "hang him."
but the officer managed to cludc
the mob and land his trembling
prisoner safely behind the bars. The
captured man, or rather boy, for he Is
only 10 years old, has made complete
confession. lie says his name is
Charles W. Crawford and hi, home Is
near Patterson, In Madison county.
The dead robber is 0. P Wilkins and
was released only few weeks ago
from the Minnesota penitentiary
Ut saltwater, where he served
three years for robbery. Craw-
ford says their only weapon
was repeating Winchester shotgun,
carried by wilkins and the testimony
Of witnesses bears out this statement.
He claims 10 have been coerced into
assisting wilkins and says they went
to Indianola last Monday morning for
the purpose Of robbing the bank there,
but he refused at the last moment after
reaching the town and the job was
abandoned. Their team was stolen
from the prisoners uncle, W. W. Craw-
ford, Of Madison county. They secured
only about 5000 from the bank and the
money was all found where their bug
nv broke down.
II Ia not believed that either Bailey
or Leach Is fatally hurt. The latter
received a full charge OF shot in the
shoulder, making bad but not danger
Gus wound. Bailey was shot in the
neck, the flesh andskin being torn away
almost to the windpipc. lie will re-
cover unless Inflammation SETS in. Sew
srsl citizens were hurt by scattering
shots fred by the robbers on the way
to the buggy. Postmaster Il 3 Barr
stepped ont Of the post office just Ms
the retreating robber, passed, The
latter ordered him inside, hut before
he could comply fired at him, one shot
striking his forearm and another
piercing his hat md grazing his fore
head. J. M Byers, j. N. Simcoke and
. boy named Cecil Decker were also
slightly injured.
The daring robbery has caused in.
tense excitement The town is full Of
armed men, most Of whom had turned
out from neighboring towns on the
FIRST report Of the robbery to aid in
the capture Of the robbers There is
still considerable talk Of lynching
Crawford, but the sheriff and leading
citizens arc trying to pacify the crowd,
and will probably succeed, though II
anybody makes start there would be
plenty Of followers to make the bandit
stretch hemp.
---------1----E
The president has refused to pardon
DR.. A. b. Johnston, OF Missouri, sen.
fenced to four years Imprisonment for
v.austor ,,nrturv