The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-21
AN AGED CASHIER is ATTACKED
AND PROBABLY FATALLY BEAT
EN- BY A STRANGER
CAUSE OF ASSAULT A MYSTERY
ASsAILANT MEETS HIS MATCH IN A
FARMER, WHO FOUGHT HIM
UNTIL ARRESTED
PRISONER FATALLY WOUNDED

Cashier He Is Shot in the AbdO-
men-LittIe Town of PaIatine, I'LL,
wildly Excited Over the Peculiar
Affair.
CHICAGO, Sept. 20.-Frederick A. FIJI
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 today by a young man who gives
the name of Walter Lawton. The latter
who is unknown In Palatine, and ap-
parently of good education, is In the
county Jail suffering from bullet wound
In the abdomen which Will probably prove
fatal.
Henry Plagge, seventy years of age, a
farmer, whose intervention at a critical
moment prevented the outright murder
Of the cashier is at his home, west of
the village, cut and bruised and disabled,
as g. result of his struggle with Lawton,
whose motive for the assault, according
to his repeated statements, was not rob-
berry
tack hammer and the aged cashier was
struck at least a dozen times before
Plagge Interferred.
The attack occurred at 8 o'clock in the
afternoon. At this hour many of the
residents Of the community were thrown
into a tunult by hearing the report Of a
revolver and the noise of a fierce struggle
in the bank rooms William Garms, a
farmer, was among the first to reach the
bank 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. Garnls turned and ran into
the street, shouting murder" and then
returned to the bank. Sounds Of strug-
Cling still came from tile rear room and
Garms hurried to that apartment. AS he
pushed open the glass door he found the
cid German farmer, Plagge, bleeding
from a number CT wounds, but lighting
vigorously with stAlwart young man,
who lay or the floor with. Plagge On top
Of him A bloody tack hammer and a
revolver with broken butt lay on either
side of the struggling men. The young
the region of the abdomen.
The crowd which had gathered rapidly
after the alarm had been given, sepa-
rated the two men and took the supposed
robher to the lookup. He was too severely
wounded to offer any resistance, and this
fact saved him from violence at the
hands of the excited crowd that followed
him to Jail
FIGHT IN THE BANK.
Cashier Fiibert was alone in the bank
when IHAWton, whom he recognized as a
visitor of last Friday, who had sought
loan on a supposed farm, entered Law
ton called Filbert into the outer Office to
consult map which hung on the wall,
and started a 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 hammer
sent the Old man 10 the floor, but his cries
attracted Farmer Plagge. AS the latter
entered he was met by LaWton, who said
"Ftlbert is ir the back ROOM and guess
there is something the matter with him .
Plag55" pushed open the door and as he
stopped over the PROSTATE cashier LaWton
struck him three times on the back Of
the head with the hammer The old
farmer turned and graspcl his assailant
about the knees Both fell to the floor
and struggled for possession of the ham
ner. Each in turn received blows with
it, until Lawton drew his revolver. The
ner then fought for the weapon, and In
the scuffle it was discharryed the ball
striking Lawton in the abdomen.
Plagge said he had I'D 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 AMI holding
him until assistance arrived
REVENGE HIS MOTIVE.
Lawton was brought to Chicago on a
late train, tonight, 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 attack
ing Filbert, TO avoid Identification. 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. F'ilbert declares he has not
been in New York for twenty years.
BOTH WILL DIE.
Late tonight it was announced that
! both Fiibert and Lawton VIII die The
i 4oliHeI SAUL Is fractured III TWO places
and the latter cannot survive the wound
in his abdomen.
Lawtons confessed motive for the as
| sauIt was revenge on F'ilbert, who he
alleges alienatcd the affections of his
wife. His story is not believed by the
police, however. They have no doubt the
looting of the bank was his ultimate de-
SIGN.
The robber says he tracked Fi.bert for
five years, and that he discovered only
recently where the object Of his pursuit
lived He went to the bank, he asserts,
to demand II 500 in satisfaction of the old
injury. The cash balance or the insti-
tuition was 500. nearly all OF which was
in the vaults at the time the assault took
place.