Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-29
HOLD UP IOWA BANK
Robbers Make Good Haul at Prairie City
and Escape,
NIGHT WATcHMAN is COVERED WITH RIFLE
Kept 0Omered for Two Hours While
Thieves Work on Safe.
BURST VAULT DOORS WITH DYNAMITE
Appropriate About Four Thousand Dollars,
Mostly in Silver
TAKE TO HEAVY TIMBER ALONG RIVER
Since Leaving Town No Trace Hss
Been Found of Them and the
Chances of Capture
Are slim.
ept 0Omered for Two Hours whils
Thieves Work on Safe.
URsT VAULT DOORS WITH DYNAMITE
Appropriate About Four Thousand Dollars,
Mostly in Silver
TAKE TO HEAVY TIMBER ALONG RIVER
CFrom a STAN Correspondent0


PRAIRIE CITY. Ia, Oct. 2s.--(special.)-
The State Bank OF Prairie city was broken
open, the safe blown to pieces with dyna-
mite and about $500, principally in silver
coin, taken at an early hour this morning.
The work was done by four men who made
good their escape with very little prospect
OF their arrest.
The four men came into the city at about
l:45 o'clock and the FIRST thing they did
was to locate the night watchman for the
town, Mr.. Erskine. They cornered him in
a hardware store and one OF them stood
guard, firing his gun into the store once
to frighten him. Another of the gang
stood guard at the foot OF the stairway.
where two doctors we're awakened and had
light. A third member walked up and
down the principal street with a shotgun.
The fourth member Of the gang went to
work at the State bank.
The front door was broken down with
sledge and he applied dynamite. Eight
separate charges were necessary before the
vault and safe were shattered so that the
contents could be got at. The robbers
gathered up all the coin in sight. over
$4,000 being in silver, and departed They
left at just 4 o'clock in the morning.
The night watchman and the two doc
tors, Clifford and McConnaughey, got a good
view of the men. The last seen OF them
they crossed the town park on foot, going
south, carrying their load OF coin. Three
of the men had been seen in the town on
Saturday and one was pale, as though he
had been recently confined In peniten-
tiary. They left their tools behind them
and had large assortment.
While the men we're at work they were
heard to say something about catching a
freight train on the Rock Island. and 1t
was thought they would try to get away
on that train, but they did not do so. A
farmer living four miles southwest OF the
city reported the loss of a horse during
the night and it is supposed the horse was
stolen by the robbers. No other clue has
been found as TO the direction they took
An effort was made 10 get bloodhounds, but
they did not arrive today. and Il Is re-
garded as useless TO try to track the men
with dogs after SO many persons have COW
cred the trail.
The bank directors held meeting this
afternoon and arranged for temporary quar-
ters. The loss falls on q bank insurance
company Of Des Moipes, which had insured
the bank against robbery for 1000. The
| bank is owned by A. X. Moller, president.
and his son. Arthur, cashier.
AS soon as the robbers left town the
two doctors gave the alarm and the news
spread over the country by long distance
telephone and most of the farmers In this
part Of the country we're aware of the
robbery before daylight. The robbers made
I for the heavy woods along the Des Moines
river, and IL they are not discovered at
once will be reasonably safe. In spite of
! the fact that the news was so thoroughly
spread and so many people are on the look
out for them no trace has been obtained
| of the robbers.