New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-07
BANK ROBBERSCOME TOGRIEF
TWO IOWA FARMERS INITIATE THE
DALTON OUTLAWS
THEY ATTACK A BANK IN MIDDAY. SHOOT The
CASHIER AND OTHERS 49, ONE RoBBER

THEY ATTACK A BANh IN MlDDAi' S'i'"'
CASHIER AND OTHERS - ONE RoBBER
KILLED AND THE OTHER CAPTURED.
Des Moines. Iowa. March s.-Adel, the county seat
Of Dallas County. twenty-five miles from nere' "a'
the scene of a bold bank robbery this morning loi
lowed by the pursuit OF the amateur bandlts' the
killing of one and the formation of an angry mop
which surges about the county Jail tonight and
threatens to have the life Of the living robber The
funds OF the bank were saved by the presence of
mind of the cashier VINO. after receiving load OF
lead in his body. swung shut the door to the vault
and turned the combination. Following are the
casualties far recorded
Orlando +. wilkins. roober. from Patterson, Madl-
son County Iowa, aged thirty, shot by pursuers ana
killed
s. NJ Leach, cashier of tho bank. seriously
wounded In left shoulder and neck. c. d. Bailey
merchant. shot in shoulder: j. NJ Byers, proH-
nent citizen shot In hand and arm: X. ). Barr,
postmaster shot in left arm: j. L. Simpson, citizen
and Cecil Dexter. boy slightly wounded.
The robbers Orlando p. wilkins and {. w. Craw-
ford were farmers. living in Patterson httie
after clock this morning they drove into Aoe II"
a buggy. Leaving their conveyance DOCK away
they went to the bank. wilkins carried repeat
ing shotgun with SIX loads. They entered the oahH
Just az Cashier Leach taking the money from
the vault. e. u. Bailey was in the bank at the
time Crawford remarked that they wished to make
a deposit Cashier Leach busy at the time put
turned with the inquiry, What Is it! AS ne oiu So
he looked into the barrel OF the shotgun held py
wilkins who Immediately fired. Cashier Leach stag
gered and fell. but rousng himself. hung the cur
rency and gold from the counter into the vault ana
closed the door. wilkins fired again, wounding MY
Bailey.
Then Crawford kicked IN the door leading oehind
the counter and he and wilkins scraped the loose
silver into a sack II amounted TO s2oi. By this
time Sheriff Payne who on the street, had his
attent ION attracted and opened fire on the ROBBERS
They made rush for their buggy, wilkins nrhg as
he ran and woundlng the other citizens mehuohed
above.
The robbers started to drive across the country
They were hotly pursued, the hastily collected posse
being often within 200 80 yards Of the fugltlves
Many shots were fired OF which hit the horses
driven by the fugItives. After a chase OF near.y
twelve miles the wounded horses cou.d go no rur-
Their and were abandoned by the bandits. who sep
arated "NeaVs Crossing of Raccoon RIVER
There Crawford secreted himself In c.ump OF
timber, but WAS surrounded, and ne surren-
dered wilkins took refuge In barn, which was
quickly surrounded. To repeated orders 10 come
o,i ne made no reply. Tnen Crawford was forced
Kerosene saturate a straw stack near the barn ana
start fire. wilkins dd not shoot az his eomrade
and when the flames closed about him he made
break across the open space for the timber. HE mad
proceeded but a few yards when he fell, pierced
by bullet from rhe held. II Is said by q
OF Itself and the body rldde1 with bullets
The corpse Of the robber and his living companion
were later taken back 10 Adel. where CRAWFORD
made fui. confession. He claimed that he had
been forced into crime BY wilkins who threatened
to XII. him II his nerve weakened.