The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-16
THE MEEkERI BANK HEl.pIuP.

lllt$MEEkER iBANk HElDSU
All THREE or The t,abbtfs shot Dead.
While They, were I.ooiinE the safe ali.
Villagers Surrounded The Iiuliding and
Poured a Deadly Fire inio f'htni as they
Game out. v. A q, "A <
DENVER. Colo, Oct According
TO the latest adSites from sieeker. Col,
which is ninety miles from tlse ncnteat
telegraph office. the three men who
were Killed tiere after robblng the
bank, lave not been Identified The
one who lived two hours after being
shot, gave names which are believed
to be fictitious. II Is believed that one
OF the robbers IA ,rhUlnhs Mccarthy,
who aided infobbinss the banks at 1'eli-
urlde and Delta. Those killed ard
wounded In the battle between the eltr
liens and robbers are: NJ IN itt3
Deed:y Chafles Jones, LEADER % thS
bandits, aged 1orty-aye. shot through
the lungs and chest. .i s.
William Smith. aged twenty.one,rl ID
died through the lungs aud chest, shot
through the lseart and q humber OF
other Wounds,any. OF which would have
been mortal, t X 8i'j +
George Harris, robber, aged thirty
five, shot through lungs and chest. q &
The wounded are: W. II. Clatk.5bu
let In right breast; not fatal. Victor
Dlkeman, shot5thrOugh the arm G. A.
Booth, scalp wound. w. L. 1. licrrlck,
finger shot of. q u 7 VI n. 4, 4 III Al Va
The robbery was one OF the most
daring ever perpetrated5 In the west.
occurring MS 1t did; in 5broad daylight,
and at IA time when there were twenty
or more people In plain sight. George
Rooney clerk of the Meeker hotel, had
stepped lntu the bank, which ~ located
IN the general mercantile store OF J.3NNs
Hagus, to. make a depositS and stood
talking to Assistant I. Cashier David
Smith. As he turned to leave Ire felt Il
heavy hand on Ills shoulder. and
glanclng up was looking Into the|m uE-
ale of a revolver. The man with 9lie re-
volyer commanded Hands up!"iAt the
same Instant two shots rang out and
Two bullets wkzzel by the head OF the
assistant cashier, David Smith. who
threw UP his hands In the meantime
the two other robbers had covered the
crowd In the store, compelling them 10
assemble In the centre OF the room and
guarding both doorways.
Then Cashier AIotlton was called and
one OF the men said 10 him. open the
safe, and be Quick about It."
At the point OF the gun he was con
Quoted to the safe, which he opened
and the. contents Of the drawer. 500,
were empthd into n sack the robbers
had brought With them. Not q word
was spoken, the robbers going about
their business With u dellberat!on that
was astounding under the clrcum-
stances. After getting the money in the
TIL. they quietly gathered In all OF the
IRE arms In the place, helped them
selves 10 cartridges, and then the lead
er addressed the crowd, bank officials,
employees OF the store and customers
who happened 10 be IN the place, saying
their horses were standing hltched out
side the rear door, which opens Oh a
side street. and that for their own sake
they would request all TO 70 outside
WITH them. The crowd filed through
the doorway, followed by the robbers.
The robbers were not aware that the
place was surrounded until nil were
out The crowd that they had driven
from the store broke and ran for. cover.
The citizens OF the town lsau been
warned by the two shots fired In the
store and, arming themselves to the
teeth, surrounded the bank and quiet
~ awaited the appearance OF the rob-
bers. Deputy Game Warden w. II.
Clark, noticed that three horses were
fastened at the renr door, and surmis.
ing that the robbers would leave by
that route. took up his station n short
distance from the back door and CEN
tered more men at this place than any
other, not neglecting, however TO keep
the front door just as we'll watched.
When the robbers saw that they were
cornered, Charles Jones raised n RHO
he mad taken from the store, and fired
at Clark. The bandits We're commands
Ell to hold up their: hands. but an
swered with u fusllade of, shots from a
dozen different directions. Jones and
Smith fell to the ground, literally rid
died with bullets. They had been killed
In the act OF firing. Harris mortully
wounded, held his revolver and still
staggering, continued the battle until
he fell. s555i, - :
the dead men were removed to an
undertaking establishment, where an
Inquest was held, rendering q verdict
of justiilable homicide. 5l
A description OF the robbers follows.
Jones would weight $50 pounds: blacl,
mar, slightly bald in front, right ler
about one and q half inches shorter
than the left, about five feet eight
inches In height. n =
Harris had a fine physique. weighing
$50, pounds, light hair, sandy beard nnfl
lnoustache 4. ! - y :
Smith, smooth face, height flve feet
seven inches. q ..3.fF.s-. =. :