Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-13
Battle WITH Burglars
Citizens and Four Robbers Have q
Lively Shooting Bee at State
Center at an Early Hour.
Ben Whitehill Shot in the Leg
Two of the Crooks Captured
One Wounded.
Attempt to Blow Up the Safe in the
Mason & Whitehill Store Is
Forestalled.

F0restalled.
A pitched battle, brief but exciting,
formed thrilling episode early this
morning at State Center, when the citi-
zens of that place were called out to
capture gang of burglars who We're
operating in Mason & Whitehill's store.
Shortly after O'Clock a. m. Miss Mer-
rill, of Maxwell, who is employed at Ho-
tel Dunlop, became i'll and arose from
her bed. She happened to glance out OF
the window, and by the bright moon
light noticed two men standing in front
of the Mason & Whitehill store, and two
others entering the store thru a side
window. She at once went down stairs
and to the home of Lawrence Rhode,
next door south, and awakened him. and
he in turn aroused both Mr.. G.. B. Mason
and MIR. Ben Whitehill, owners of the
store.
The proprietors hastily dressed and
summoned other neighbors and friends,
who assembled at once and made an eff
fort to surround the store. The two men
on guard in front saw them as quickly
as they came near. and then the shoot
ing commenced. The State Center citi-
EMS We're all armed. some with shot
guns and others With revolvers. and for
several moments shots We're exchanged.
in rapid succession.
MIR. WHITEHALL SHOT.
Mr.. Whitehil. who is we'll known here
as a corporal in Company II, Forty
ninth Iowa. was the fret victim of the
shots fired by one of the burglar guards.
The bullet struck him in the right leg.
about half way between the knee and
the hip The shot is thought to have
been a glancing one, and luckily pro-
duccd only flesh wound, the bone es-
Icaping injury. The guards then made
a hasty retreat firing as they went, but
no one else was hit just then. Several
windows in the hotel. across the street
were broken by the stray bullets.
STORE IS SURROUNDED.
While the battle With the guards out
side was being waged the members of
| the party not directly engaged were
busy surrounding the store The noise
Iof the firing had attracted many others
from peaceful slumbers, and men and
boys gathered quickly. armed with
weapons of almost every description. 1t
Ewassnot quite definitely known just how
many of the burglars We're inside the
store. but all exits We're carefully
watched. One of the burglars then tried
TO make his escape. Mr.. Mason let 90
zone barrel of his shotgun. and the man
made a hasty duck into the store and
under cover He Was hit by few stray
shots. but not injured to any extent.
| About 2 o'clock the firing ceased and
1.-THE men in the store began TO prepare a
treaty of peace, agreeing 10 surrender
without further trouble. They at last
came out. with hands up. turned over
their weapons and We're taken to JAIL.
ALL READY TO BLOW SAFE.
When the store was examined 1t was
found that things had been arranged In
a very systematic manner. and the large
safe. containing what money there was
lin the store and other valuables. was all
ready to be blown open. The fuses were
5lall laid and ready to touch off, and thu
lcrevice around the door had been care
fully sailed. Its thought the men hes.
8litated until they heard the whistle of ar
approaching Northwestern train. in or.
der that they could touch off the fuse
secure the booty and make their escape
ion the train. This morning, after day,
light, one of the prisoners was taker
from the Jail to the store and removed
lthe explosives 50 that the safe could b,
5opened without difficulty or any danger
lof hurting anyone.
Z SHERIFF CALLED.
Sheriff Shoemaker was telephoned O
the affair about 3 O'clock and took tn,
J. first train to the scene, in order to aid ii
the search for the two men who acted
as guards ard escaped. Their descrip
Etions We're furnished by one OF tn,
burglars in custody. Deputy Hutsol
and Will Shoemaker left overland To-
ILaMoille about O'clock, to meet
searching party that wac working thi
way. They concluded to go on to Stat
Center from there. and did so, arrivin,
!; home about noon today, in compan,
with Sheriff Shoemaker and the tw,
prisoners.
The men give their names as A1urra
a and McCabe. Murray Is the smooth on
II of the two and does the fancy work.
was he who received two shots in tn
leg. and who was called upon to TAX
|, the explosives from the safe. Sheriff
Shoemaker thinks that McCabe ha
!. been in jail here recently, serving
sentence for ntoxication. Both OF tn
men are hard-looking customers.
This is tbs second time an entranc
has been effected in the Mason & White
thin store within the past two weeks
Twenty-seven pairs of shoes were re
Gently stolen. and no clue has been oh
tained that would lead TO the arrest O
the guilty parties. The tools that tn
men operated with in effecting an en-
trance to the store were secured fror
Saxauer's blacksmith shop. which wa
entered earlier in the evening.
At fret II was thought there wer
eight men In the party. and that wa
currently reported to the officers here
1t appears, however. that this repor
, came from statement made by one G
j. the burglars under arrest, who sai
!, that his party had met another gang {
j four men. which had arrived in Stat
Center to go thru another store.
TELLS OF TESTERS FEAR.
Father of Gilbert Gates Says tho l'ria
Oner SbOwad 4. IN N n, alon n Z # rial