The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-02-07
First National of East Portland Is Held


A most desperate attempt to rob the
First National bank of East Portland, on
the corner of Union avenue and East
Washington street, was made yesterday
afternoon by Rev. j. @. Reed, formerly
a BaptisG minister on the East Side.
at 80 o'clock Teller E. T. Holgate
was alone in the bank, when a man dis
guised with false whiskers, entered.
Holgate recognized him as being Reed.
The teller stepped from desk where he
had been writing In a book, to the
counter, when Reed drew bottle from
his pocket containing white substance,
and said:
"This is nitro glycerine and there's
enough of it to blow you and me to
HE'LL"
Holgate being startled at the mans
conduct, stepped back of the counter a
few steps, upon which the robber pulled
a revolver, which seemed of very large
caliber to the teller at that moment, ex-
claiming:
"Hold up your hands, or I'll blow
your brains out! Place your hands be-
hind your back!"
The young teller obeyed the order,
and Reed, passing through the directors
room, walked behind the counter, where
he secured Holgate's hands with heavy
whip cord, and he blindfolded and
gagged him, compelling him to crouch
underneath the counter. Then the
robber barred the Union avenue en-
trance with an iron bar, and began help
ing himself to the coin.
Holgate says:
she had a sack with him, and just as
he dropped the first stack of 500 pieces
into it Teller D. G. Southworth came
along with a shotgun which he showed
through the glass door and shouted to
Reed to hold up his hands. Reed cried
out to him not to shoot, as he was un-
armed, and was ready to surrender.
The fellow had in the meantime taken
-of his false whiskers and disposed of
his pistol, which looked much smaller to
me subsequently than it originally did
when it was showed under my nose. A
few minutes after Mr.. Southworth came
to my rescue. Reed was arrested and
taken to the West Side police station %
Reed was seen at the central police
station at l o'clock. He did not appear
much agitated over his adventure. The
police were having him in charge all the
afternoon, so no story could be obtained
from him.
MR.. soUTHWoRTH's STORY.
Holgate's rescuer, Teller D. @. South
worth, of the Citizens bank, says that
his attention first was attracted to the
robber by his peculiar makeup, as he
was walking down East Washington
street toward the First National. He
saw him stop in front of the bank, hesi.
tating moment or two and enter. He
believed him to be a fakir, and for few
seconds thought no more of the man
He continued:
"The next time looked over to the
First National, 1 saw Holgate with hil
back to the counter and his hands
crossed on it. Even then supposed tn,
stranger teaching Holgate a trick, bu
subsequently, when I observed the sup
posed fskir blindfold Holgate and show
him under the counter, I surmised tina
there was something wrong. I called
our messenger, Ed Miller, into the banl
from an adjoining room, put on my ha
and, taking shotgun out of the vault,
went across the street. first looked in
to the south window of the bank anC
saw the robber piling gold into sack
As soon as he observed me, he fell be
hind the counter on his hands. 1 crieC
to him to hold up his hands and stanC
quiet or I would fire at him. The fellow
supplicated me not to shoot, claiming t.
be unarmed. There was a strangel
standing in front of the bank, who mus
have seen all that was passing within
asked him to hurry for an officer, bu
the fellow remained there few moments
longer with an idiotic leer, but disap
peared as the crowd gathered.
ST jumped to the front door, and, be.
ing unable to gain an entrance, I showed
my gun through the glass, keeping M