The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-19
ROBBERS IN COLUMBUS
HOPE BANK BREAKERS WENT d.
RECT TO THAT CITY.
Further Details of the Ro~bbery-Eort
Wayne Thugs Are Busy-D. II.
Bolds Acquitted at Button.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
COLUMBUS. Ind. Dec. 1s.-This morn
ing's robbery of the Citizens Bank OF
Hope was one of the most daring and sue
cessfuI ever perpetrated in this part of
the State. The amount of the loss does
not vary much from the first statement,
about $15,O0 of the banks funds, and sew
eral small sums of money and the post
office stamp stock, placed in the vault for
safekeeping. William Kennedy. president
and principal owner, declines TO state the
exact loss by the bank, but says he will
make their losses good to depositors. L..
c.. Miller, secretary of the Hope Building
and Loan Association. last s400, mostly sill
yer, placed for safekeeping over night. and
Postmaster Spaugh lost $50 in money and
$500 in stamps, $500 of which was recov-
cred later.
The discovery of the robbers at work was
made by Lewis Lane, an operator in the
telephone exchange, which is just across
the street from the bank. The alarm was
at once given by the use of the telephone
connection and Postmaster Spaugh was the
first on the scene, arriving just as the last
robber was escaping through the rear door.
Mr.. Spaugh gave chase and fired several
shots, but evidently without effect. 1t is
thought the robbers escaped in the direc-
ton of this city. Parties armed with every
conceivable weapon have secured the coun-
try about Hope and vicinity since the
robbery was committed. In the Moravian
cemetery, which is located about two and
Cne-half blocks from the bank, Il quantity
of notes were found to-day, and pinned TO
one of the notes was $40 in currency, which
the robbers had evidently overlooked when
they threw away the less valuable portion
CT their booty. In an adjoining field We're
found other notes and a large guam
tlty of postage stamps in a more
or less mutilated condition. During the
early morning hours the ROBBERS were
tracked through the frost which covered
the ground so that it resembled a light fall
of snow. BY this means a light wagon,
which was driven at a breakneck speed
from Hope, was tracked to the city limits
of Columbus. where the trail was lost
amid other freshly-made tracks. Wesley
Simmons, of Hope, followed the vehicle
the entire distance to this city and was
within hearing or IL the entire distance,
but his horse was not equal to the task OF
overtaking IL. Sheriff Wagner, with an or
ganized posse, is securing this part of the
county,, but up to a late hour tonight no
further trace of the robbers has been dis
covered.
The Citizens Bank of Hope is a private
banking institution. of which William
Kennedy is the principal stakeholder and
personal manager. The bank has strong
financial backing ana uepOSltOTS Will lose
nothing. The safe cracked was a large
one, of the Hall pattern, with time lock,
and was supposed to be burglar-proof. The
robbers first knocked the knob from one
of the doors and then drove back into the
door the piece remaining in the hole, which
gave them easy access for the explosive.
The telephone people claim to have seen
the dim outlines of two or three men In
the bank just after the explosions oc-
Cured. The bank carries insurance
against robbery, but the amount is with
held from the public.
From developments which came 10 light
late tonight it is almost certain that two
of the parties engaged in the loot of the
Hope bank were in this city early this
morning. Two well-dressed strangers took
breakfast at the American restaurant, and
payment therefor. The check was refused
and the breakfasts were paid for in cash.
One of the same persons applied at Pfiefer
Bros saloon about the same time to have
q check for $40 cashed. To the bartender he
said his name was Charles and
a former resident of Columbus. When the
bartender asked him If he was a brother of
Jim Chambers, a fictitious parsonage, the
stranger answered yes. He claimed he
could not wait for the banks here to open,
as he wanted TO catch the Z o'clock train to
Indianapolis. AS no train leaves for that
city a. any time near that hour, that state
ment is now considered suspicious. Neither
of these strangers can now be found here.