The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-12
IN BROAD DAY LIGHT
An Attempt to Hold Up the Silver
Bow National Bank.
HIS EFFORTS WERE IN VAIN
The Fugitive Fires Several Shots
at His Pursuer-Will Not Give
His Name Merry Officers and
Their Subsequent Reward.

Butte. June IA lone desperate
made an attempt to rob the Silver Bow
National bank. at the corner of Main
| and Granite streets, early this after
| noon, which for reckless daring and
| sensationalism has seldom IL ever been
| equaled In the West. not even in the
| early days when robberies and hold
| ups We're so common that they occa-
stoned little comment except when
they were OF particularly nervy
| nature. There have been numerous in
| stances of attempted bank robberies
by regularly organized gangs of
thieves. but this is probably the first
case of one man undertaking to hold
up bank in the heart of large city
in broad daylight. single-handed and
| unaided. The running fight between
| Officer John Inghram and the would
| be robber which followed the attempt
| ed hold-up created the widest excite
| ment. and it seems almost a miracle
that none Of the spectators who
| thronged the streets were hit by the
| flying bullets. Seven shots were ex-
changed between the pursuer and the
pursued. and the desperate nature of
the robber is shown by his deliberate
and murderous attempts to murder the
brave officer who gave him such a
prompt and lively chase. The officer
was poorly equipped for fight with
| firearms, as his revolver was an old
and unreliable one, and IL refused to
work when it was most badly needed.
Had Inghram been armed with "A gun
Il t.l, k "a t.1.
would have fired every time he pulled
| the trigger. a coroner's jury instead of
/ the criminal courts would probably
have been required TO dispose of the
case.
| The attempt was made at about 10 80
O. o'clock, when the only persons In the
bank were W. O. Thomas. the book
keeper and Glenn Harrington. son OF
Fayette Harrington, the cashier. Be
tween IL and o'clock yesterday after
noon rather tough looking character
entered the bank and asked Mr..
| Thomas for 81 bill in exchange for a
silver dollar. The trade was made.
and the fellow walked slowly out of
the bank. after looking around and
sizing up the interior. The man was
about six feet tall and heavily built.
with dark hair and dark mustache.
He possessed dangerous pair of eyes,
and his actions were so suspicious that
Mr.. Thomas decided to keep a close
eye on him In the event Of his paying
the bank another visit The would-be
robber called at the bank again at al
most the same hour this afternoon.
and after waiting for a moment at ond
of the side desks as If to divert at
tention. he walked up to the cashiers
window and again asked to exchange a
silver dollar for a 81 bill Mr. Thomas
walked up to the wicket as the fellow
entered the door. and kept a sharp eye
on him, while his right hand rested
within easy distance of a big Colts
revolver which is kept in an open box
under the cashiers window for Just
such an emergency as arose a moment
later. A sack containing an even
$1,000 in gold which had just been
stacked up preparatory to being stored
away in the vault was lying on the
counter close to the wicket. and the
stranger looked at 1t long and wistful-
ly while the bookkeeper was looking
through a pile of currency for a 81
bill He was unable to find a bill of
that denomination. however. and hand
ed the fellows silver dollar back to
him.
The latter then went out and started
to walk up and down In front of the
bank with an apparent air of nervous
ness. Mr.. Thomas returned to his
work and requested Glenn Harrington
TO step up in front and watch the fell
low as his actions were not at all
prepossessing. After walking up and
down in front of the bank three or
four times, the suspicious-looking
stranger leaned up against telegraph
pole and looked intently into the bank
for a minute of two, and he then
walked back into 1t again and straight
up to the cashiers wicket, where he
found the polite and alert bookkeeper
again waiting for him. Young man."
said he. in a threatening voice. I'm
broke and must have some money!
and just as he completed the sentence
he started to pull a big revolver from
under his vest Mr.. Thomas did not
wait to see what kind OF a gun 1t was.
He dropped behind the counter at the
robbers first movement towards his
gun, and snatching up his own revol-
YER. he emptied its six shots into the
ceiling as fast as he could pull the
trigger. He paid no attention to the
visitor. after dropping behind the
counter. his only object being to at
tract attention.
Officer John Inghram was standing
on the north side of Granite street,
heard the shots. and he started for the
bank on the run. As he reached the
corner of Main the desperado ran d.
agonally across the corner and started
west on the south side OF Granite
street. Two or three people shouted
that he was the man that was wanted,
and Inghram ran after him. The off,
Ger gained on him rapidly. and when
they got along in front of the Bee Hive
he was only about 30 feet behind him.
The pursued man then turned around
and fired a shot at the officer. after
ordering him to quit chasing him. The
bullet whizzed past Inghram and
struck the ground about 10 feet behind
him The officer then raised his gun
and snapped 1t twice without explod-
| ing a cartridge. At the third trial the
gun went off. but the robber paid no
attention to Il. He ran a few feet fur
ther and then wheeled around and
| fired at the officer again and then
lodged down Hamilton street. Just as
he was turning the corner the police
man fired again and the fugitive stag
rared up against the Lewisohn build
ing as though he had been hit. He
quickly recovered himself. however.
| and ran down the street.
In the meantime officer Barnaman.
who was standing at the corner OF
Main and Broadway when the shoot
ing commenced had run up Main
street until he saw the man who was
wanted run west on Granite. He then