The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-07
Bold and Partly Successful attempt
by an Ex-Convict and Roy to Loot
the State bank of Adel.
CASHIER AND CITIZENS SHOT
ROBBERS PURSUED FOR FOUR MILES
BY MEN ON HORSEBACK.
One Captured, the Other Smoked Out
cause He Refused to Surrender.

partly successful attempt was made to rob
the Ade State Bank this morning. A few
minutes before 9 o'clock this morning two
strangers drove into town and tied their
team near the public square, They got out
and without attracting 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, a leading merchant. was writing
at desk in the lobby. They were the
only occupants of the bank. One of the
strangers stepped up to the cashiers window
and said he wanted to deposit some money.
Almost at the same instant, the second
robber, who was behind, leveled shot
gun at Leach and fired the charge taking
effect in his shoulder. He then ordered
the cashier to hand over the money. The
latter handed over a small sack of silver
and then, though badly wounded seized
a drawer containing about 1000 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 foor One of the robbers now
sprang over the counter and began shovel
ing all the money in sight into a sack The
one with the gun turned TO Mr.. Bailey, who
was still standing at the desk, and fired
a shot at him, wounding him in the neck.
He fell to the floor and the robber shot
at his PROSTATE form, but missed his target.
By this time a crowd had gathered out
side and the two robbers, one carrying the
money and the other WELDING the gun made
a rush for their buggy. Fully fifty shots
were fired at them, but none apparently
took effect. They .coolly got into their
buggy and, still keeping the crowd at bay,
drove rapidly away. Several men sprang
upon horses and followed, and a running
f.xl,f <,f
miles south of town the buggy driven by the
robbers struck a tree and a wheel was
broken. The robbers, still closely pursued,
then abandoned the vehicle. One hid behind
bank where he soon captured, and
the other with the gun ran into a barn
near by. The barn was surrounded but the
bandit held the crowd at bay. He was
called on to surrender, but absolutely re-
fused 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 Darii. The advancing
flames finally forced the man inside to come
out, but he still refused to surrender and
the crowd of citizens fired a volley at him.
He fell dead, pierced by three bullets. Two
took effect in the head ard one in the side,
and either would have been fatal. 1t was
with the utmost difficulty that the angry.
crowd was prevented from wreaking ven
geance on the other robber. But Sheriff
Payne hustled him into a buggy and drove
rapidly back to town. A crowd of several
hundred had gathered at the Jail when
the sheriff reached there with his prisoner
There were loud cries of "Shoot hmv'
Hang him. but the officer managed to
elude the mob and land his trembling pris-
oner safely behind the bars
The captured man-boy, rather-for he is
nj boS do
plete confession. He says his name is
Charles W. Crawford and his home near
Patterson, in Madison county The dead
robber is o. P. wilkins and was released
only few weeks ago from the Minnesota
penitentiary at Saltwater, where he served
three years for robbery. Crawford says
their only weapon was a repeating Win
chester shotgun, carried by wilkins, and
the testimony of witnesses bears out this
statement He claims to 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 reach
ing the town and the job was abandoned.
They stayed LAM night with a farmer liv-
ing few miles southeast of here and drove
to town this morning. Their team was
stolen from the prisoners uncle, w. w.
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about $500 from the bank and the money
was found where their buggy broke down.
1t is not believed that either Bailey or
Leach is fatally hurt The latter received
q full charge of shot in the shoulder, max
ing bad but not dangerous wound.
Bailey was shot in the neck, the flesh
and skin being torn away almost to the
wind pipe He will recover unless infiamna-
ton sets in Several citizens were hurt
by scattering shot fired by the robbers on
the way to their buggy. Postmaster r. S.
Barr stepped out of his Office just as the
retreating rohber passed. The latter or
dered him inside, but, before he could COM
ply, fired at him. one shot striking his fore
arm and another piercing his hat and graz
ing his forehead. J. NJ. Byers, ]. M. Sim
coke and a boy named Cecil Decker were
also slightly injured.
The daring robbery has caused intense
excitement. The town is full of armed
men, most of whom turned out from neigh
boring towns on the first report of the rob-
berry to aid in the capture of the robbers
There is still considerable talk of lynch
ing Crawford, but the sheriff and lead
ing citizens are trying to pacify the crowd
and will probably succeed.
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