The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-03-07
ROBBERS.
Desperate Battle Between Citizens
and Two Desperadoes.
ONE OF THE ROBBERS SHOT DEAD.

ONE OF THE ROBBERS SHOT DEAD. ,
The other, Youth of Nineteen, Captured |
and Saved from Lynching-They Had just |
shot Two Men and Fled with Less Than |
$500.
ABEL, Ia, March IA desperate and
partly successful attempt was made to rob
the Adel State bank yesterday. Two
strangers drove into town and tied their
team near the public square. They got
out, and without attracting any particu-
lar attention stepped into the bank. The
cashier >. NJ. Leach, had just taken from
the vault the c.."nncv for the days busi
ness and c. ID. .ailcy a leading mer-
chant, was writing at a desk in the lobby.
They were the only occupants of the bank
One Of the strangers stopped up to the
cashiers window and said he wanted TO
deposit some money. Almost the same
instant the second robber lcveled a 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 small sack of
silver and then, though badly wounded,
seized drawer containing about S3, 900 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 g n
turned to Mr. Bailey, who was still stand
| ing at the desk. and fired "A shot at him,
Iwounding him in the neck. He fell to the
floor and the robbar shot at his prostrate
| form, but missed him.
BY this time a crowd had gathered out
side and the two robbers, one carrying the
lmuney and the other welding the gun,
made n rush for their buggy. Fully fifty
shots were fired at them, but none appar-
emily 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 fight ensued
About four miles south of town the
buggy driven by the robbers struck tree
and broke a wheel The robbers, still
closely pursued, abandoned their rig and
one hid behind a bank where he was soon
captured, and the other, with the gun, ran
Into a barn nearby. The barn was sur
lrounded, but the bandit held the crowd at
bay He was called upon to surrender,
J but resolutely refused, and said he would
never be taken alive. After parley the
Icrowd partially united the captured rob
Der and compelled him to set fire to the
barn. The advancing flames finally forced
his confederate to come out, but he still
refused to surrender, and the crowd of cit
LIENS fired Il volley at him. He fell dead,
Ipierced by three bullets.
1t was with the utmost difficulty that
the angry crowd was prevented from
!, wreaking vengeance on the robber that
q. was alive, but Sheriff Payne hustled him
Into buggy and drove rapidly back to
town A crowd of several hundred had
gathered at the Jail when the sheriff
lraached there with his prisoner. There
were loud cries of "shoot him." Chang
2 him" but the officer managed to elude the
, lmob and land his trembling prisoner
safely behind the bars
The captured man. or rather boy, TOR he
t is only 10 years Of age, has made a COM
. iplete confession. He says his name is
o Charles w. Crawford, and his home near
Patterson, in Madison county. The dead
robber is o. p. wilkins, and he was re-
leased only a few weeks ago from the Min
nesota penitentiary at Saltwater, where
y he served three years for robbery. Craw-
k ford says their only weapon was repeat
1b iad Iy-N
i-i1s and tbo testimony of witnessed hears
o,,+ tIis s+ot,,,a,,t LIo oloir,s 10 ba,,a I,eor