The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-08-25
VICTIM OF ROBBERS.
Thieves Fatally Wound Cashier stru-
bile of Farmers hank at Shepherd.

bile Of Farmers Bank at Shepherd.
Shepherd, Aug. 23.-While defending
the funds of the Farmers bank Elmer
Il. Struble, its cashier and the president
of this village, was shot and fatally
wounded by robbers early Saturday
morning. He died seven hours later,
but recovered consciousness sufficient
ly to give the authorities the names or
his assailants, three in number. There
is considerable mystery concerning the
murder. Mr.. Struble was found in
the banking office at six o'clock with
two fatal wounds near the heart and
life almost extinct. He had been shot
two hours earlier, according 10 his ante
mortem statement. The office gave evil
denee of a desperate struggle.
Mr.. Struble left his house at four
o'clock and went to the bank for some
papers to take to Mount Pleasant, in
tending to return before business hours.
The bank is located in hardware store
in the north end of the building, and
the living rooms overhead are occupied
BIZ L. A. Wisdom and +. NJ. Taylor and
their families. At six o'clock Mr.. Wis
dom came down to open the store and
found the front door open. He went to
his desk at the south end of the store,
and q moment later heard something
drop. Investigation showed the door to
the bank office was open and Mr.. Stru-
BILE was lying on the floor, alive but
unconscious. The vault door and the
steel money chest were both open, most
of the books were taken, and all the
money was missing. except ten dollars
In silver, which was found under the
counter.
1t is supposed Mr.. Struble was in the
vault when he was approached from be-
hind, and the robbers, seeing the money
chest open, demanded the contents. Mr..
Struble, it is believed, refused and
started out TO escape or shut the safe
door. He was then shot in the wrist
ana side, and while trying to shut the
vault door was shot in the back. This
did not apparently render him easy
prey, as he evidently turned to fight
them, and then received the two fatal
shots near the heart.
Mr.. Struble died at II o'clock, but a
few moments before death he rallied
and made a statement that he recog-
nized the robbers and he gave the
names to the prosecuting attorney and
the sheriff. He said he forced the shoot
ing. as he refused to give up the money,
and in the fight recognized his assail-
arts, who killed him to save themselves
from being known.
1t was reported that the robbery was
committed by several depositors, who,
fearing the bank was about to fail, fol-
lowed Struble to the bank, demanded
their money, and, upon being refused
shot the cashier and looted the bank.
Sheriff Mogg, deputy sheriff Estee,
Prosecuting Attorney Mcnamara, with
several other county officers, held q
meeting Sunday at Mt. Pleasant to con-
suli and make further plans for the cap
ture of Cashier Struble's murderers.
1t was decided that everything is being
done that will eventually lead to the
arrest of the guilty men. 1t is thought
that three prominent men in this vi
-cinity are the murderers, but officers
will not divulge names. They are
watched every moment, day and night,
and cannot escape. Arrests are likely
10 take place at any moment.
There is great excitement among the
people here and at Mt. Pleasant and
lynching is freely talked by many. 1t
is thought officers would not dare TO
make arrests at this hour, as they could
not protect murderers against the sum-
mary vengeance of the people. Prom
inent detectives are expected to assist.
While the suspected men cannot es-
cape, Sheriff Mogg hesitates, fearing
mob violence. The prosecuting attor-
ncy claims that Cashier Struble, few
minutes before his death. gave him the
names of three men whom he positively
identified as among his assailants. They
are all well-known residents of Isabella
county, and are depositors at the Shep-
herd bank. Two of the three men ac-
cused in Struble's ante-mortem state
ment will be able to produce impregna-
bic alibis. The fact that the cashier
was under the influence of morphine
seems TO detract somewhat from the
weight of his dying statement. John
i Ryan, owner of the bank, says the
amount taken by the robbers will not
exceed $500. Many of the account books
of the bank are missing also, which
seems to make it certain that the per-
pctrators of the crime were not ordi-
nary burglars.