The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-01-10
SIX MASKED ROBBERS
MAKE HAUL OF $4,000
East St. Louis Scene Of Mos
Daring Bank Burglary.
wArcHMRN BOUND AND GAGGED

National Stock Yards Bank Cracks.
mon Succeed In Effecting Entrance,
Securing tho Loot and Escaping.
st. Louis, Jan. 7.-Six masked men
entered the National Stock yards bank,
north of East st. Louis. ILL.,. last night
and after capturing and gagging the
two night watchmen and firemen at
the plant and blowing open the vaults
with dynamite secured $4,000 in coin
and currency. with which they decamp-
I'D early today.
For nine hours. from Z o'clock last
night until 4 o'clock q. m, they were
At work on the vault without being in
terfsred with. The entire East st.
Louis police force. aided by the st.
Louis police. are guarding I'll the ave-
nues OF escape. but as yet have obtain
ed no Glow to the whereabouts Of the
robbers. who. 1t is believed, escaped
on horseback.
Lee Philpot, one of the watchers and
one of the Rough Ride tricnls of
President Roosevelt. who is we'll
known in Kentucky, was the first to
meet with the robbers. He was stand
ing in the stock yards near the Ex-
change building, In which the bnnk is
located. when he was addressed by
three men who sprang out of fence
corner with revolvers in their hands.
They said:
I'VE want you. Philpot." and with
that overpowered him before he could
-
took Philpot to the composing room
of the Daily National Stock Yards Re-
porter near by and laid him on the
floor. He was bound hand and foot
and gagged with towels. While lying
there three other men came in.
Wanted to Kill watchman.
While he was lying on the floor Phil
pot heard the leader of the rUbber
gang say:
Let's kill him." He was deferred
from doing this. Philpot says, by the
ether robbers. One of the six nlen
was sent ort with injunctions to Sc
cure the OF hers. Albert Estep. the
other hank watchman. was caught on
tho steps Of the Exchange building.
The robber went up to Estep and ad-
dressed him by name. Thinking it
was . friend. Estep was taken un-
Awares and when = revolver was
thrust into his face was not in shape
for defense. Under threats of death
he was forced to go to the composing
gagged.
Night Fireman Clark was taken un-
awaren In the stamp department OF the
Exchange building. He resisted and
was badly beaten before subdued. He
was also taken to the composins goom
and loft bound and gagged with his
two companions. At midnight one of
the robbers was left to guard the cap
tives. while the other five went to the
bank. which is located on the first
door of the Exchange building near
the center. With nitro-glycerine the
robbers blew open the steel doors of
the vault. These doors were of a dou-
BILE thickness Of steel and were shat
tered and the banks books and pa
pers blown into shreds.
Vault Doors Blown or.
Entering the vault the big steel safe
with quadruple plate doors was next
encountered. These doors were drill
ID and charge Of the explosion insert
cd which blew them off.
The explosion In the vault destroy
ID moro hooks and papers and scattered
about $500 silver upon the floor. This
money was not taken by the robbers.
They took all the currency and other
coin. amounting to about $4,000 as
nearly as the banks oficers can esti-
mate. The five men left the bank and
signaled 70 the one who was guarding
the captive watchmen and fireman.
This man Joined his companions.
Five minutes after the robber guard
left the composing room Estep, who
had not been bound securely, worked
loose and released Clarke and Philpot.
This was about 4 o'clock Estep then
ran to the telephone and called up
Charles r. Jones. general manager OF
the stock y.-is. and informed him of
the robbery. President G. Gordon
xnez. Of the stock yards, was also
called. Mr.. Knox said that II the rob.
bers had made their haul the night
before they would have secured about
10000 more than they got. They a ID
not take any az the banks papers.
The vault and safe present q scene of
wreck and ruin.