Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-10-19
ROBBERS ARE SHOT.
Three Colorado Bandits Die with
Their Boots on at
Meeker.

Denver, Col, Oct. 15.-According to
the latest advices from Meeker, Col,
which is ninety miles from the nearest
telegraph office, the three men who were
killed there after robbing the Bank of
Meeker have not been identified. The
one who lived two hours after being shot
gave names which are believed to be fic-
titious. 1t is believed that one Of the
robbers is Thomas Mccarthy, who aided
in robbing banks at Telluride and Delta.
Those killed in the battle between the
citizens and the robbers are:
CHARLES JONES, leader of the bandits,
aged 45, shot through the lungs and chest.
WILLIAM SMITH, robber, aged 81, rid
died through the lungs and chest, shot
through the heart and a number of other
wounds, any of which would have been
GEORGE HARRIS, robber, aged So, shot
through lungs and chest.
The wounded were:
Game Warden W. H. Clark, bullet in the
right breast not fatal.
Victor Dikeman, shot through the arm.
&. A. Booth, scalp wound.
w. p. Herrick, finger shot off.
The robbery was one of the most dar-
ing ever perpetrated in the West, occur
ring as it did in broad daylight and at
Il time when there were twenty or more
people in plain sight. George Rooney,
clerk of the Meeker hotel had stepped
into the bank, which is located in the
general mercantile store of j. w. Hagus,
to make a deposit and stood talking to
Assistant Cashier David Smith. AS he
turned to leave he felt heavy hand
on his shoulder, and, glancing up, was
looking into the muZzle of a revolver.
The man with the revolver commanded
"Hands up!' At the same instant two
shots rang out and two bullets whizzed
by the head of the assistant cashier, Da-
vid Smith. who threw up his hands. In
the meantime the two other robbers had
covered the crowd in the store, COM
pelling them to assemble in the center
of the room and guarding both doorways.
After getting the 500 in the till, they
quietly gathered in all of the firearms
of the place, helped themselves to the
cartridges and then the leader addressed
the crowd, bank officials, employees Of the
store and customers who happened to be
in the place, saying their horses were
standing hitched outside the rear door
which opens on side street and that
for their own sake they would request all
to go outside with them. The crowd
filed through the doorway, followed by
the robbers. The robbers ware not
aware that the place was surrounded I'M
til all were out.
Then began a fierce fight between citi-
zens and robbers. Two of the latter fell
in the first volley. Harris. mortally
wounded, held his revolver and still stag
gering continued the battle until he fell.
The dead men were removed to an under
taking establishment where an inquest
was held, rendering verdict of justif-
able homicide.
1t is believed here that the robbers
were members of the Mccarthy gang
that committed several daring train and
bank robberies in Montana, Oregon,
Washington and Colorado. It is sup
posed that the man who robbed David
II. Moffat, president OF the First Ma
tional bank in this city, of $4,000, in
1889, was a member of this gang. The
McCarthys formerly lived in an out-of-
the-way place in Oregon, where they
were regarded as wealthy ranchmen.
In an attempt to rob the bank at Delta,
Col, about a year ago, John Mccarthy
and his son were killed, but Tom McCar-
thy escaped.