The morning call., 1895-02-26
FIGHT WITH BANK ROBBERS
OFFICERS HAVEA RUNNING BATTLE
IN THE STREETS OF
COUNCIL BLUFFS.
DURING A FUsILLADE OF BULLETS
Two MEN ARE BADLY
WOUNDED.

ATLANTIC, Iowa, rep. Z0.-lhe First Ma
tional Bank of Griswold, Cass County, was
entered last night by burglar, who blew
open the vault, doing over $500 damage
The noise was so great that the burglar
made hasty departure. Over $500 worth
of stamps belonging to the postmaster,
$120 i'll nickels inside the vault, and prob
ably other valuables, were taken, but the
wreck is SO great that 1t is impossible to
tell what was stolen. A burglar-proof safe
inside the vault contained $4,000 cash,
which is probably safe.
OMAHA, Feb. pa Council Bluffs
special to the Bee says: A spirited fight
between bank robbers and the local
authorities occurred here late this after
noon, in which several persons were shot
and much powder burned Officers had
been notified to watch for the men who
this morning robbed the Griswold Qowa)
bank.
Just after dusk, as one of the officers was
patrolling his beat, he noticed man sitting
in the Office of the Keel Hotel who an
swered the description telegraphed from
Griswold. Deputy Sheriff O'Brien was
notified and concluded that he was one of
the men wanted and called to his assist
sillCt IDSPbtN OIlGIIlA IIOOh6I, anu III COIll-
pany with Officers Peterson and Ware the
party entered the Office and invited the
suspected man to jail. AS the five men
left the hotel two other hotel guests rose
and followed, keeping several yards be-
hind. Just as they reached the steps of the
Courthouse O'Brien dropped behind tell
ing his prisoner to walk in front As he
did this the two men who had been follow
ing the party commenced firing at the
officers.
Pulling their guns, the officers returned
the fire, the prisoner and the two strangers
separating from the officers and shooting
as they ran. For some minutes the fusil-
lade was kept up, citizens and other Off
GERS joining in the battle, which bad be-
come general all along the line, until the
desperadoes were overcome and two of
them placed under arrest and taken to Jail,
where they gave their names as John Riley
and James Wilson.
4 AS soon as they were secured behind the
bars the officers started to look for the
wounded, and in the search they discoy-
cred O'Brien severely wounded, ball
having struck in the abdomen, entering
the body and lodging near the spine.
trating some two inches. The third man
escaped and fed toward the river, pur-
sued by posse of citizens, but he managed
to elude them. 1t is thought that he is
now in Omaha and the police of that city
have been notified to be on the lookout for
the man.
In searching the men at the jail their
pockets yielded large number OF postage
stamps and quantity of small change,
which fact convinces the officers that the
two prisoners now under arrest are mem
bers of the gang that robbed the Griswold
bank. While the shooting was going on
Motorman Scullen met with a peculiar ac-
cident. His train was in the vicinity Of the
battle and just as he was about to seek the
secIusion of the inside of his car bullet
struck the brick building near bv and
glancing, flew back and struck him between
the eyes, cutting the flesh to the bone.
AT the Jail the men who are under arrest
refuse to talk on the subject OF the robbery.
They say that they are FARM hands. In re-
gard to the shooting they state that they
were scared, and did not know that the
men with whom they were fighting were
officers, and that they shot as they sup
posed to defend their lives.