The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-04-23
BRUTALITY MURDERED.
A Cashiers Heroic Struggle in De-
fense Of His Charge,
KILLED by Determined Robbers. Who
Then Loot the Vault and Make Their
Escape The Whole Community
Aroused and In Pursuit.

tNl ~ ~ itFs tlii
resisting the entry of two desperate and
determined robbers, and during "A he
roic, but futile. struggle In protect
$3.50, 900 or more in money and securi-
ties, in the compartments of the open
vault of the Great Falls national bank
of Somers worth, yesterday afternoon.
Cashier Joseph A. stickney was struck
down and brutality murdered near the
desk which he had occupied for years.
After killing Stickney, the murderers
ransacked the vault and fled with all
the rash it contained with the excep-
ton Of a five dollar gold piece. As
near as IA be estimated. about 50. 900
was taken, but il is possible hat the
amount will considerably exceed this
sum-. as no one but the dead cashier
knew the exact moun that was in
the institution at the time.
The robbers. after knocking Stickney
down with a blackjack, cut his throat.
The most remarkable feature of the
robbery is the fact that 500, 900 in
bonds of the United States. which were
kept in one of the drawers of the big
vault, and which the robbers evidently
examined hastily, were not taken.
Neither was any of the negotiable pa
per and securities of the bank-in
fact. nothing is missing except the cash.
No one was aware that there was
anything wrong at the bank until two
o'clock, or an hour after the murderous
work was done. The perpetrators had
ample time to escape. and yesterday
evening scores of deputy sheriffs. mar
shals. police and citizens were securing
this section Of the state and the adj
joining state of Maine, which from
this city is just across the Salmon
Falls river.
The men made their visit to the
bank at the busiest time Of the day
in the locality where the bank IL
situated and SO completely and thor
oughlydid they accomplish the robbery
thai only an uncertain clew and a very
meager description of them was OBJ
t~ainable.
The bank was beseiged by hundreds
when the news of the terrible affair
became known. and large mum bcrs OF
people came here from surrounding
tAlltS. llAl lut TODDtIN Uttn dDDlt-
hended soon after the murder and rob-
berry became public. it would have
been found difficult to prevent a
lynching in the Granite state. Great
sympathy Is expressed for the family
of the murdered man. who. in addition
to his position a cashier and director
of the Great Falls bank, was town treas
urer.
1t has always been customary foi
Cashier Stickney and Bank Clerk Mrs.
Parker Swazey To close the bank al
oon and not reopen il until two
o'clock. Mrs. Swazey left her desk at
noon. The cashier. however. remained
looking over the banks accounts, and
il is thought he was preparing to go
out when the robbers entered.
The first suspicion that the bank had
been robbed was ut 1:5s o'clock when
Mr.. Frank L. Reed went up the stair
case of the bank building and found
the thick plate glass in the front
outside or hall door of the bank com
pletely shattered. lie notified City Mar
shall Eaton. and they broke in the
door and found evidences of a desper-
ate struggle.
On the floor. in a great pool of blood,
was the l~ifelcss body of Stickney. His
head had been nearly severed from the
body, the robbers having cut his throat.
The head was marked with several
deep gashes made by a heavy black
Jack. and the skull was fractured
The body was covered with blood. and
the walls and furniture bore additional
evidence of the terrible deed. Stick
ney had died fighting desperately.
The first clew that the officers found
was from persons who reported seeing
a man hurrying up the hill carrying a
bag heavily weighted over his shoulder.
He threw the bag behind a stone wall,
changed sorne of his clothes and finally
got into "A buggy driven by an
other man. Other persons reported
seeing the buggy. and in West
Rochester a horse and buggy were
seen headed for Salmon Falls river,
which forms the main state boundary.
This outfit has m~ysteriously disap-
pcared despite the fact that the whole
section hcreabouts is being searched
tonight.
There were und oubtedly two men
concerned in the affair. The outside
door had been locked by Mr.. Stickney
after Mrs. Swazey's departure. and when
the robbers found they could not open
it they smashed the plate glass which
formed the upper half Of il. The men
then crawled through the hole made
in the door. The inside door.
which led into the apartment be-
hind the counter. was fastened by
a heavy iron bar. Marks have been
found showing that one of the men had
endeavored to raise the iron bar and
Cashier Stickney endeavored to keep
the bar in its place. The robber was
too much for the cashier, for the door
was forced. IL was then that tho
cashier made his last stand. and aftera
short but heroic struggle, was killed.
Mr.. Stickney's family consisted of
his wife. a son and two daughters. lie
was wealthy and well-known in New
England banking circles.
DANsH >AchtEn rANs IN