Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-03-02
ROBBED A BANK.
Burglars Use Dynamite in an Iowa
Institution.
They Secure Little Booty--Suspects Fight
Desperately on Being Arrested In
Council Biufrs--One omcer
and = Thief shot.

.TLANTtC, Ia, Feb. 26.-The First
national bank of Griswold, Cass county,
was entered by burglars about mid
night Sunday entrance being gained
by prying open back window. The
robbers blew open the vault door
door of the locked safe, put in
heavy charge of explosive, lit a fuse
and closed the vault doors. The
charge wrecked the vault, doing more
than $4,000 damage to the safe, TO the
vault and building. The noise of the
explosion was so great that the bur-
glars made hasty departure. Over
S400 worth of stamps belonging to the
postmaster and Sl20 in nickels inside
the vault are known to have been
taken. A posse of men is securing the
country for traces of the thieves, w 10
are evidently professionals.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Ia, Feb. GA
shooting affray took place Monday
evening on the courthouse steps in
which bank-robber was dangerously
hurt, Nick O'Brien, a deputy sheriff,
was wounded SO that he may die, and
Motorman Stallard received flesh
wound from a big bullet. During
the day a telegram was received by
the authorities notifying them that the
First national bank at Griswold had
been robbed during the night and S125
in nickels and S400 in postage stamps
taken. The burglars were supposed to
have come this way, and there
were four in the gang. Late
in the afternoon Deputy Sher-
ifs O'Brien and Hooker visited
Kiers hotel and there found two men
answering the descriptions given them
over the wires. The strangers were
reading newspapers in the hotel office.
The officers stepped up to them and
told them to come along, which they
did without parley. A third man who
was seated in the Office arose at the
same time and followed.
They walked along Fifth avenue un-
til they reached the south steps of the
courthouse, when O'Brien, who had
been walking ahead, stepped back and
ordered the men to go on. At this mo-
ment the man who had been
thought to be j. Riley, lodged be-
hind a tree and exclaiming:
I'm not going any farther" whipped
out a revolver and commenced shoot
ing. At the same instant the other
captive and the third stranger pulled
out their revolvers and got ready to
shoot. The first bullet from Riley's
revolver struck O'Brien in the
abdomen, little to the left side.
O'Brien drew his revolver and shot at
the man just in front of him, who also
had his weapon in his hand. The man
fell to the ground and was picked up
and carried into the Jail. Jailer
Peterson heard the shooting and ran
to the spot, but before he arrived
Riley and the other man, who was
uninjured, had fed. They went down
Fifth avenue, with Deputy Sheriff
Hooker and Policemen Weir and Covalt
in hot pursuit Another shooting af-
fray took place IN front of the WON
ans hospital, but none of these shots
took effect. About half an hour after
the shooting Officer Weir got drop
on one of the fugitives, j. b. White,
alias Wilson, and brought him back to
the county Jail. Riley got away.
The robber who was wounded gives
his name as William j. Smith, which
was the name under which he regis
tered at the hotel in the morning. The
bullet from O'Briens revolver entered
his left leg near the groin and was
taken out by the physicians. Deputy
Sheriff O'Brien is in very precariou:
condition and may die as the result oi
his wounds.
During the fusillade an electric
motorman named Slattard was struck
by stray bullet in the forehead be
tween the eyes, but was not seriously
hurt. The bullets from the promiscuou!
firing flew wildly and there were many
, narrow escapes. Miss Ellen Ayles
worth was walking along the sidewall
opposite the Catholic school, and fol
+ few seconds was in direct line will
, the course that the bullets We're taking
, in the fusillade. One of them cut th,
, sleeve of her dress and anothe
l whistled so close to her ear it almos
stunned her.