The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-22

Bank Cashier Attacked by N Stranger.
Both these aud Reseuer BADLY
Wounded

Chicago, September 20.-Frederick J.
Filbert, the aged cashier OF the Pala-
tine bank in Palatine, H., twenty-six
miles north of Chicago. is lying close
to death as the result of an attack made
upon him today by a young man who
gives the name of Walter Lawton. The
latter, who is unknown to anybody n
Palatine, and apparently of good edu-
cation, is in the county jail suffering
from a bullet wound in the abdomen,
which will probably prove fatal. Henry
Plaggo, 70 years of age, a farmer,
whose Intervention at critical mo-
ment prevented the outright murder of
the cashier, is at his home west Of
the village, cut and bruised and dis
abled, as a result of his struggle with
Lawton, whose motive for the assault,
according to his repeated statements.
was not robbery. The attack upon FIJI
bert was made with tack hammer
and the aged cashier was struck at
least a dozen times before Plaggo in
terfered.
The attack occurred at o'clock in
the afternoon. At this hour many Of
the residents of the community were
thrown into a tumult by hearing the
report of a revolver and the noise of a
fierce struggle in the bank rooms. Will
liam CAIRNS, a farmer, was among the
first to reach the bank rooms. AS he
entered he almost stumbled over the
form of Cashier Filbert, who with torn
clothing and bleeding head was feebly
endeavoring to crawl through the open
door.
CHarms turned and ran into the street
shouting 'Murder!" and then returned
to the bank. Sounds of a struggle still
came from the rear room and CAIRNS
hurried to that apartment AS he
pushed open the glass door he found the
old German farmer, PlaggO, bleeding
from a number of wounds, but fighting
viciously with a stalwart young man
who lay on the floor, with PlaggO on
top of him. A bloody tack hammer and
a revolver with a. broken butt lay on
either side of the struggling men. The
young mans clothing was stained with
blood in the region of the abdomen.
The crowd which had gathered rapidly
after the alarm had been given separat-
ed the two men and took the supposed
robber ito the village lookup. He was
too severely wounded to offer any re-
sistance and this fact was all that saw
ed him from violence at the hands OF
the excited crowd that followed him tC
Jail.
IIawton's confessed motive for the as
SduIL WAS revenge OIi y Q" liO, lie
alleges alienated the affections of his
wife His story is not believed by the
police, however. They have no doub1
the looting of the bank was his ulti
mate design.
The robber says he tracked Fiber
for five years and that he discovered
only recently where the object Of hi:
pursuit lived. He went to the bank, ht
asserts, to demand $1,000 in satisfaction
of the old INJURY. The cash balance OF
the institution was 100000, all Of which
was in the vaults at the time the as
| sault l0ok place.
! Lawton was brought to Chicago on 6
| late train tonight and placed in th'
! county Jail. He denied that he had en-
tered the bank for the purpose of rob
berry, and claimed that the alienation o.
! his wife's affections by Filbert tool
place five years ago at the Fifth Avenue
! hotel. in New York city. Filbert de
! clares he has not been in New Yorl
for twenty years
Late tonight it Was announced tina
! both Filbert and Lawton will die. Th'
former'c skull is fractured in twt
places, and the latter cannot surviV
! the wound IN his abdomen.