Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-03-08
TRY TO LOOT A BANK.
DARING ATTEMPT AT ROBBERY
IN IOWA.
Orlando wilkins and Companion Hold
Up the Cashier of the Adel, lows
Bank wilkins Killed and His Conn
panion in Jail.

early yesterday morning, the bo1dness
of which is unparalleled in the criminal
annals of the state.
AS a result of the robbery one of the
robbers, who but recently was released
from serving a two-years' sentence in
the Minnesota penitentiary at Stillwa-
ter, Mimi, lies dead in the court house
at Adei, his associate, uninjured, is a
prisoner in the county jail, while the
cashier of the Adel State Bank is laid u RI
with serious wound in his shoulde
and four other citizens and school
boy are laid up at their homes, more or
less injured. The dead:
WILKINS, ORLANDO, one of the
robbers. shot three times and killed in
stantly.
The wounded:
Baily, C. D., merchant shot in the
neck while in the bank.
Barr. E. L., postmaster, shot while at
his door. not seriously.
Byers. J. NJ, a merchant, shot on the
street, not seriously.
Decker, Cecil, schoolboy, hit by shot,
unconscious for an hour, will recover.
Leach, s. W.. cashier of the bank, shot
in the left shoulder.
Simpoke, ]. L., shot in the street, not
badly hurt.
At AS o'clock in the morning, when
the bank opened for business, as usual,
two strangers entered and approaching
Cashier S. w. Leach said they desired
to make deposit. AS he approached the
paying teller's desk one of the men,
the ex-convict Wilkins, raised a repeat
ing rifle, which up to this time he had
carried concealed beneath his overcoat,
and leyeling it at the head of Mr.. Leach
told him they had come in to get money
instead of depositing it and his life
depended upon his immediate complf-
ance with his demand. Meanwhile
Crawford had approached the cashier.
holding open the mouth of canvas
sack. Picking UP a tray full of silver.
Mr.. Leach dumped it into the sack. Will
kins commanded him to go into the
vault and bring out more money. Leach
had turned about to enter the vault
when G. d. Baily, a prominent merchant
of the town, stepped in at the front door
and was a startled witness to the un-
expected scene.
Immediately upon Mr.. Baily's appear
ance Wilkins wheeled and turned his
rifle upon him and, before the latter
could escape or make any remonstrance
whatever, fired. The shot took effect in
the lower part of the right jaw, tearing
it's way through the flesh and cutting a.
deep wound beneath the chin.
At this Wilkins turned and fired at
Cashier Leach. The latter, seeing the
impending danger, lodged, and instead
of receiving the charge in the face, as
had been intended, was severely wound
ed in the left shoulder.
The sound of the shooting attracted
the attention of number Of peofsss
passing. among them Cole r. Noel JUS
tice of the peace, who without suspect
ing the nature of the trouble, opened the
door and stepped inside the bank. Agains
Wilkins turned and fired, but this time
missed.
At this interesting juncture, Sheriff
Payne of Dallas county, who was pass
ing, suspected the cause of the excite
ment and drawing his revolver began
shooting through the glass door. The
two robbers at once left the bank, shoot
ing as they went, and made for their
buggy. Arriving at the buggy Craw
ford united the horses. having previous
ly tossed the canvas sack containing the
money into the buggy. The men then
urged the horses into a gallop and drove
south and west in a circuitous route,
evidently heading for some heavy tim
ber five miles away. When fifteen min
uteS after their departure Sheriff Payne
and posse of twenty men, all well
started in pursuit Reaching an
abrupt turn in the road the robbers in
to take a turn struck log,
broke both forward wheels of the buggy
and We're thrown headlong to the
ground. Wilkins, with his rifle firmly
grasped, ran to and took refuge in a
large barn. Crawford, being dazed from
the result of his fall, instead of running
to the barn veered to the left and ran
into some timber. where he secreted
himself behind a log. He was at once
and seeing all escape cut
off, he jumped upon the log and throw
ing up his hands called out that he
would surrender. He was made to take
a jug of oil and proceed to the barn
where wilkins had taken refuge, with
the threat of burning it if he did not
come out
wilkins responded that he would die
irst Then with q dozen rifles pointed
1t him Crawford poured the oil over the
'odder and set it on fire, and In a very
ew moments the structure was en-
yeloped in flames. Wilkins remained ~
inside until the heat became intolefabs
ind only at the last moment forsook his
efuge and started on run for an ado
accent grove. Immediately he emerged
rom the barn dozen rifles cracked,
nd leaping high into the air he fell
lead not over twenty feet away.
Crawford was Immediately hurried
Jack to Adel, where he was placed in
ALL and a heavy guard of citizens
the place all night, threats nf
ynching being freely made. Me,
he body of the dead robbea i.$
rought into the town and taken
rand jury room in the court
there hundreds viewed 1t. The anal
money taken was only $273, ever.AA
II of which was recovered from
ack in the wrecked buggy four ny
outh of town. Had it not been for :
imely appearance of Mr.. Baily, Sher@
Jayne, and others, and the cool nerN
Cashier Leach, the robbers would
ave secured 200 in gold and s3o, 900
4 currency from the open vault
Late in the day Crawford made a full
claiming he was forced by ~
hreats of death to accompany Wilkins
he dead robber has mother, sister, SS
nd two brothers in Livingston, Mont.
NE men are prominent and wealthy
took raisers there. The dead man was
ne of the rustlers sent TO the peniten-
iary from Montana to saltwater.
Inn, penitentiary. He was originaliy
rom Madison county, Iowa, but for the
asst four or five years had wandered
trough Montana and the northwest.
eading a life of yagabondage and
rime.