Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-02
Held Town Al Bay
Further Particulars Of the Rob-
berry Of the State Bank Of
Sheldahl
Half the People Of the Town Held
at Bay While the Robbers
Worked.
In the Excitement Citizens Fail to
Get a Description Of the
Thieves.

Des Moines, June -Four craftsmen
stood off half the population of the lit
tie town of Sheldahl, on the Northwest
ern road eighteen miles north Of Des
Mones. for two hours yesterday morn
ing While they cracked the safe in the
Sheldahl Savings Bank, ritled 1t of its
contents and got away with $l,6o9.2l.
The burglary was one of the most
daring ever committed in this county,
as we'll as one of the most successful,
for despite the fact that the robbers
working in a building surrounded by
citizens they managed to escape With
out any one in the crowd so much as
getting good description of them. AS
| a result Sheriff Mattern, the police and
special agents of the Pinkerton agency,
who are employed by the Bankers Mu-
tual Casualty Company and who ar
rived in the city last night to go to-
work on the case, are entirely in the
dark.
The bank is situated on the south side.
l5of the main street and just over the
Story county line in Polk county, 1t
/ is a story building, but there are no.
iother occupants. The cracksmen went
! to work about a. m. They opened
4 both the front and rear doors and then
/ tackled the safe, which stood in the
4 open on the floor of the building, there
4 being no vault That the men We're
i experts wac evidenced by the character
of their work The cracks around the
4 door of the safe We're sealed with soap.
so as to make it air-tiGht and the nitro
4 glycerine6was poured into a small open
! ing left in the crack thru a paper fun
/ mel. An atomizer was then used to
4 force i, thru the crack and into the
4 safe. The first explosion tore off a
! portion of the outer fire-proof casing
I and was SD loud that it awakened peo-
/ pie in the town. Those who lived near
j and who started into the street to see
4 what was happening We're driven back
Into their houses by two men who We're
Ion the outside and who f1ourished
4 weapons at them. presumably rifles.
4 The men inside the bank then fired a
second. third and finally fourth
sIcharge before they succeeded in getting
4 Eintosthe safe. Once inside they took all
4 The money and started into the street.
i BY this time 1t was claimed that
4 twenty five men who had been awaken
I ed by the succeeding discharges or had
flbecn alarmed by those who heard the
4 explosions. We're gathered in the street
4 in frort of Or near the bank, but thert
Il was but one gun In the crowd. Thi.
y Twas a rife and the man who had 1t die
not have sllalls to fit it. Some of thu
3 onlookers say hat With the two guard
on the outside there We're five men IN tn
1 Iparty when it left the bank, but tn
z! majority say there werc but four ant
that all were armed. The burglars or
taered the crowd back under penalty o.
& death and walked out of town to tn,
least, following the Des Moines road
& Not less than fifteen men testified t
seeing the robbers, leave the bank. Al
ter the frs. alarm one of the mel
i3arcrsed Went half mile to the resi-
.dence of w. y. Shaal. president of tn
bank. TO notify him. Mr.. ahaal dresse,
and started for the bank on foot. II
Preached there just about minute af
ter the robbers had departed.
n 1t was claimed by onlookers that til
Irobbers worked nearly an hour on tn
safs after they We're discovered an
that during that time the two guard
Ion the outside paraded back and fort
close to the bank. warning people ava
under penalty of death. Not shot wa
fired.
Yesterday morning officers made a
Investigation that satisfied them tina
the robbers came to Des Mones. The
left Sheldahl going cas-, IN the directio
Of the Dies Moines turnpike and Won
an living on the road who said she wa
up about O'Clock, reported seeing thre
& or four men in carriage driving tc
ward Des Moines. Beyond this no trac
70 of the robbers was found.
The bank has a capitakof $4,000. 1'h
officers are: W. d. Shaal presiden,
Walter Frick, vice president, and II. j
5 Draeber, cashier. 1t is estimated tha
! the total loss. Including damage to I'll
e safe and fixtures, is $1,000, covered b
! a policy in the Bankers' Mutual Casua
~ Company, Of this city.