Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-16
BABE AS A SHIELD.
Keeps a Mob of Angry
Citizens at Bay.

Corning, Kas., Dec 12-After a des-
perate battle in which mothers stolen
babe in the arms of a safeblower kept
at bay helpless, angry mob of citizens,
two men were arrested and safely put
behind iron bars in the Seneca Jail. They
are held for safe-bloWing ct this place
Wednesday night. One is an old man
said to resemble George Taylor, the es-
capped murderer Of the Meeks family in
Wisconsin, and the other is barely more
than youth. They steadfastly refuse
to disclose their identity.
A Safe is Blown open.
Wednesday night the safe in the office
of the Jackson Grain company at this
place was rifled and the schoohouse
broken into and two muslin curtains
were torn down and carried away. The
first clue to the perpetrators was brought
here yesterday by country school children,
who reported having seen two tramps
along the railroad west Of town.
Deputy Sheriff Charles Andrews and
City Marshal Bensing at once took a
buggy and went in pursuit, overtaking
the pair about five miles out. The men
were accOsted but made no reply. The
officers asked them to wait q moment,
when both whipped out revOlvers, COW
cred their pursuers and hastily re-
treated to the timber. The officers hu7-
ried to a near by schoolhouSe and with
the aid of the children soon got the in
habitants up iii arms.
Two Cornhuskers Tackle Them.
Meanwhile two jealous cornhuskers cs-
pied the robbers in their cornfeld and
with shotgun and rifle commanded them
to surrender. The pair meekly submit
ted until the farm lads, confident of
their game, approached. Then a fusil-
ade of shots from the revolvers of the
beSieged made the former the victOrS
and the farmers the prisoners.
The owner of the farm drove up with
mis- wagon to carry off the outlaws, only
to himself be made captive. AT the
farmers house the robbers were con-
fronted by the officers. But the law
had no terrOrs for the desperate men,
fortified behind the three husky farm
ers' bodies. After considerable parley-
ing and shifting for advantage, the
younger robber became separated from
his companion and quickly became the
victim of Sheriff Andrews.
Behind a Living Fort.
The elder robber compelled his living
fort to retreat to the house and enter.
There he marched the trio upstairs and
made them lie face down on the floor,
threa tening death to the first who should
try to see what was going on. AS they
were marching up the stairs at the point
of revolyers the robbers stopped over the
cradle in the room below and snatched a
5-months-cld babe, telling the terrorized
mother to hasten to get him some supper,
and as she loved her child to tell no one
that he was in the house.
Farmhouse is Surrounded.
With one man safely in their power
the officers took the prisoner to Corning
and took back a large posse. By Z
O'Clock the farmhouse was surrounded
by 300 or 400 men armed with Win
chesters. shotguns and revOlvers. The
outlaw, in the face ofSall this demonstra-
ton, ordered lighteto be put on the
stairs so that he might see the crowd
and eat his supper. With three citizens
and the baby in his clutches, his orders
were obeyed. One of the posse requested
him to surrender. He replied that he
would if be be allowed to keep his guns.
After some consultation his proposition
was agreed 10, and the older robber lies
safe in Jail with his young confederate
Several sets of burglars tools, a camping
outfit and eight gold watches were some
of the booty secured.