Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-03-14
BANDITS IN AnEl
Many Citizens Are Injured ana ono 81 tho
Robbers Killed.

my Clts1onS Arc Injured and One OF tho
Robbers Killed.
DEs MONIES, Ia, March 8.--Adel, Ia. 8
the county seat Of Dallas county. %
miles northwest of here, was the scene
OF a bold bank robbery Wednesday
morning, followed by the pursuit Of
the amateur bandits, the killing of
one of them and the formation
OF an angry mob which surged
about the county Jail Wednesday
night and threatened to have the life
I.of the living robber. The fnnds'o the
bank were saved by the presence of
mind Of the cashier who, after receiv-:
ing load of shot in his body, swung
shut the door toSthe vault and turned,
the combination. ..As result of the
battle which followed the attack On
the bank, the fight and pursuit of the
robbers, the following list of casualties
is recorded:
DEAD-Orlando P. Wilkins, robber from
Patterson Madison county. Ia. aged 3d. shot
by pursuers gsss5
1NJuRED-S.N. Leach, cashier Of the Bank
Of Abel, seriously shot IN left Shoulder and
neck; G. D. Bailey, leading merchant Of Adel,
shot In left shoulder; J. M. Byers prominent
citizen Of Abel, shot in the hand and arm; r.
;. barr, postmaster at Abel, shot in left arm:
G l.. Simpson, well-known citizen. and Cecil
Dexter. boy OF Abel. slightly wounded.
DThe robbers were o. .Wilkinsand c.
w. Crawford, farmers living in Patter-
son. A little after O'Clock Wednesday
morning they drove into Abel in q
buggy. Leaving the rig block
away they went to- the bank.
Wilkins carried a repeating shot
gun with six loads. They entered the
bank just as Cashier Leach was taking
the money from the vault. C. D..
Bailey was in the bank at the time.
Crawford remarked that they wished
to make a deposit. Cashier Leach was
busy at the time, but turned with the
inquiry: "What is it?'' AS he did so he
looked into the barrel of the shotgun
held by Wilkins, who Immediately
fred.
Cashier Leach staggered and fell,
but, rousing himself, flung the curren-
cy and gold on the counter into the
vault and closed the door. Wilkins
fired again, wounding Mr. Bailey.
Then Crawford kicked in the door.
leading behind the counter and he
and Wilkins scooped the loose silver
into sack. 1t amounted to $2s7. BY
this time Sheriff Payne, who was on
the street, had his attention attracted
and opened fire on the bandits
They Tade rush for their buggy,
Wilkins firing as he ran and wounding
the other citizens mentioned. The rob-
bers started to drive southwest across
the country. They were holly pur-
sued, the hastily collected posse being
often within 200 or 800 yards of the
fugitives. Many shots were fired, some
of which took effect in the horses
driven by Crawford and Wilkins.
After chase of nearly IL miles the
wounded horses could 60 no further
and were abandoned by the bandits,
who separated at what is known as,
Meals Crossing" There Craw-.
ford secreted himself in a clulnp
of timber, but was soon sur
rounded and surrendered Wilkins
took refuge in a barn, which was sur
rounded. TO repeated orders to come
out he made no reply. Then Crawford
was forced at the point of Winches-
ter rifle to carry can of kerosene, sat
urate straw stack near the barn aud
start a fire. Wilkins did not shoot at
his comrade, and when the flames
closed about him made break across
the open space for the timber.
He had proceeded but few yards
when he fell pierced by bullet from
rifle held, it is said, by q prominent
farmer named Pritchard. Then the
mob lost control of itself, and the body
was riddled by bullets. The corpse of
the dead robber and his living COM
panion were later taken back to Abel,
where Crawford made a full confession.
He claimed that he had been forced
into the job by Wilkins, who threat
ened to kill him if his nerve weakened.
The two left Patterson Tuesday and
spent the night with farmer 5 miles
from Abel.