The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-10
WATCHMEn HELD UP AND tHS BANK
VAULT BLOWN OPEN.
SAFE CRACKERS MAKE BIG HAUL
The Night Watchmen and Fireman
OF stock Yards Bank, OF Chicago.
Seized and Gagged-The Burglars
spend the Entire Night at W ork ON
the Bsni. EnuIts-They Finally
Succeed in RIoSvinE Them Open and
Secure $1,000, With Winch They
Escape.

ST. LOUIS, January i--SN IHdSheo
me1 entered the National Stock Yards
bank, East St. Louis, Ill. last night af-
ter capturing and gasging the two
night watchman and fireman at the
plant and blowing open the vaults with
dynamite. secured $1,000 in coin and cur
rency. with which they escaped. For
nine hours from o'clock last nigh
until o'clock this morning, they were
at work on the vaults without being in
terferred Sith. The entire East st.
Louis police force, aided by the St
Louis police, are guarding all the
avenues Of escape. but as yet have OBJ
tanned no clue to the whereabouts of
the robbers, who it is believed escaped
on horseback.
Lee Philpot. one Of the watchmen, a
Rough Rider friend of President Roose-
velt and q member of the we'll known
Kentucky family of that name, was
the first to meet with the robbers. He
was standing in the stock yards neal
the exchange building, in which the
bank is located, when he was addressed
by three men who sErang~ out of a
fence corner. with rCvolvers in theil
hands. They said: We want you
PhilLot," and with tEat overpowered
him before he could reach a revofver.
The three robbers took Philpot to the
composing room of the Daily National
Stock Yards nearby and laid him on
the Goor. He was bound hand and foo:
and gagged with towels. While lying
there three other men came in.
While he was lying On the floor Phil
pot heard the leader oc the robbers say
Lets kill him." He was QeJerrel
from doing this. Philpot says, by tht
other robbers One OF the men was
sent out with injunctiOns to secure any
body else in the vicinity. Albert Estep
! The other watchman, was caught ON the
| steps of the exchange building The
| robber went up 10 Estcp and addressed
him by name. Thinking it was {
| friend, EStep was taken unawares ant
a revolver was thrust into his face anc
! under threats of death he was forced
| to go to the composing room, wher,
! he was also bound and gagged.
/ Night fireman L.W.a Clark was take1
! unaWareS in the steam plant of the aX
| change building. He resisted and wa
| badly beaten before ne was subdued
He was also taken into the con- .osin;
| room and left bound and gagged witt
| his two companions.
About midnight one Of the robber
was left to guard the three captives
| while the other five went to the bank
which is locate on the first floor of tn
| exchange building. near The centre
| Wi n nftro-glycerine. the robbers bley
| open the steel doors Of the vault. Thes
! dnors, of double thickness of stee
| were shattered and the banks book
| and papers blown into sSFreds.
Entering the vault. the big steel safe
with quadruple plate doors. was mex
encountered. These doors were drille
and charge of the explosive inserte
which blew them off. The explosio
| destroyed more books and papers an
scattered about 5000 ii gold and silve
upon the floor. This money was no
| taken by the robbers. They took a.
the currency and other coin amountin
to about $4,000. as nearly as the bank
| officers can estimate.
The five men left the bank and sic
nailed to the one who WAS guarding tn
| captive watchmen and fireman and h
Jored his companions.
Five minutes after the -robber guar
lefr the com posing room Estep who ha
not been bound securely worked loos
| and released Clark and Philpot.
All the robbers wore masks. In addi
ton to the $4,000 the robbers secure
$3.50 left with the bank by assis an
postmaster Busher of the stock yard:
This is the bank whose officers re
Gently swore out warrant chargin
Theodore Duddleston. the assistan
cashier, with embezziing $4,000.