The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-21
DESPERATE FIGHT,
In Which a RObber, a Bank
Cashier and a Farmer
Were Engaged.

Chicago, Sept 21.-Frederick J. Fill
bert, the aged cashier of the Palatine
bank in Palatine, Ill, twenty-six miles
north of Chicago, is lying close to
death as the result of an attack made
upon him by a young man who gives
the name of Walter Lawton. The lat
ter, who is unknown to Anybody in
Palatine and apparently of good educa-
ton, is in the county Jail suffering from
a bullet wound in the abdomen which
will probably prove fatal Henry
Plagge, 20 years old, a farmer, whose
intervention at a critical moment pre-
vented the outright murder of the
cashier, is at his home west of the vii
Iage, cut and bruised and disabled, as
a result of his struggle with Lawton.
whose motive for the assault, accord
ing to his repeated statement was not
robbery.
The attack upon Filbert was made
with a tack hammer, AMI the aged
cashier was struck at least a dozen
times before PIagge fnterfered. The at
tack occurred at 3 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon.
Cashier FiIbert was alone in the
bank when LawtOn, whom he recog-
nized as a visitor of last Friday, who
had sought a loan on a supposed farm,
entered. Lawton called Filbert into
the outer office to consult map which
hung on the wall and started quarrel
Filbert is small and feeble and could
offer little resistance to Lawton, who
pounded him savagely on the head
with a small tack hammer.
Repeated blows from the sharp ham
ner sent the old man to the floor, but
his cries attracted Farmer Plagge. AS
the latter entered he was met by Law
ton who said: Hilbert is in the back
room and I guess there is something
the matter with him.
Plagge pushed open the door and as
he stopped over the PROSTATE cashier,
Lawton struck him three time on the
back Of the head with the hammer. The
old farmer turned on his knees and
graSped his asSailant about the legs.
Both fell to the floor and struggled for
possession of the hammer Each in
turn received blows with it until Law
ton drew his revolver. The men then
fought for the weapon and in the scuf-
fle it was discharged, the ball striking
LaWtOn in the abdomen. Plagge said
he had no idea of how the revolver was
discharged.
The wound weakened Lawton so
much that although he still fought,
Plagge had little trouble in throwing
him to the floor and holding him until
assistance arrived.
The crowd which gathered rapidly
after the pistol shot, separated the two
men and took the supposed robber to
the village lookup. He was too Sc
verely wounded to offer any resistance
and this fact was all that saved him
from violence at the hands of the ex-
cited crowd that followed him to jail.
Lawton was brought to Chicago on a
late train last night and placed in the
county jail. Although it was manifest
that the name of Lawton was assumed
he having taken the precaution to cut
all initials from his linen before the at
tack for the best avoidance of identifi-
cation. he insisted that he had given
his actual name
He denied that he had entered the
bank for the purpose of robbery and
claimed that the alienation Of his wife's
affections by Filbert took place five
years ago at the Fifth avenue hotel in
New York city. Filbert declares that
he has not been in New York for twenty
years.
Late last night it was ann ounced that
both Filbert and Lawton will die The
formers skull is fractured in two
places and the latter can not survive
the wound in his abdomen. The police
have no doubt that the looting of the
bank was Lawton's design. The cash
balance of the institution was 800, 000
all of which was in the vaults at the
time the assault took place.