Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-07-18

CTEwART JELLEFF was arraigned
s before Judge Clemenston at an
adjourned session of the circuit court
at DodgevilIe, Wednesday evening,
July 10th, and his attorney entered
for him plea of guilty Of robbing
the First National Bank in this city
on the morning of May 25th last.
The prisoners father was present to
witness the proceedings. j. II. Nc
Crory, attorney for the defendant,
made a strong plea for clemency,
setting forth the youth OF his client,
only rs years; that he was left with
out the care of mother at 10; that
although exceptionally bright in
| many respects, he was OF cratic
| mind, so that he at one time had
been committed to an ASYLUM; that
he was an exemplar of sobriety and
good personal habits, etc. Support
ing the attorney, Mr.. Phil Allen,
cashier of the robbed bank, made
strong appeal to the court for merci-
full dealing with the erring youth,
who he believed under right intiu-
enses may yet become worthy and
useful citizen.
The district attorney contended
that circumstances OF the robbery
proved the prisoner to be a skillful,
| determined law breaker, u danger
Gus character to be at large, and mer-
iting severe punishment as a warn
ing to Others.
After hearing the arguments and
pleas the court pronounced sentence:
That defendant be confined in the
state reformatory prison at Green
Bay, for not less than four years,
and to the extent of ten years. His
dismissal or retention after expir-
alton Of four years to be at the dis
| erection of the State Board of Control.
| In his confession Jelletf says: "He
went to Mineral Point about five
weeks before the robbery and began
laying his plans. He made a rude
ladder, first having made up his
mind that the easiest way to enter
the bank was by the roof. He then
went into the country, and entering
the granary of a farmer, stole ten or
twelve grain sacks, and at another
place took five buggy curtains. These
he brought into Mineral Point n few
DAYS before the robbery and secreted
| them.
On Thursday night, May %, short
| ly before II o'clock he entered the
bank through the roof, first remov-
| ing n section thereof eleven and a
| half by II inches, and through this
opening lowered the rudely-con-
structed ladder, the grain sacks and
buggy curtains and crawled IN. Al
most Immediately he replaced the
section of the roof which he had
| taken out. and underneath this care
fully adjusted the buggy curtains so
| that in case of rain the water would
not 90 down in the bank below.
| This done he entered upon his task
of waiting, postponing the work oil
robbing tile bank until the following
night, Friday, May "a. For twenty
four hours he occupied that garnet,
with no food other than little
cheese which he carried in his coat
pockets.
At II o'clock on Friday night he
commenced his work of removing
some of the bricks in the top OF the
bank vault. There were some three
feet in all and in the course ot an
hour the work was accomplished
and the rudely-constructed ladder
was then brought into nse again,
forming means for him to go below
A chisel and n crowbar were used to
remove the bricks and they were
carefully laid aside. Once in the
vault he proceeded to open the vault
door and this done he charged the
safe with nitroglycerine and attached
a fuse. The first time the saie door
failed to open and second charge
was made. Each time JelieH Went
ont into the bank office out OF dang |
er's way.