Evening star., 1902-01-07
BURGLARS GOT $4,000
Bold Robbery Of Stock Yards Bank,
East st. Louis.
WAqCHMEN BOUND And GAGGED
Robbers Then Took Their Time to
Blow the Safe.
SIX MEN IN THE GANG
SIX MEN IN THE GANG

ST. LOUIS, January six masked men
entered the National Stock Yards Bank,
north of East ST. Louis H., last night, and
after capturing and gaggng the two night
watchmen and tiremen at the plant and
blowing open the vaults with dynamite, Sc
cured $1,000 in coin and currency, with
which they decamped. For nine hours
from Z o'clock last night until o'clock a.
m. they We're at work on the vaults with
out being interfereN with. The entire East
St. Louis police force. aided by the St.
Louis police, are guarding ali the avenues
of escape, but yet have obtained 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 Roosevelt
and member of the well-known Kentucky
family of that name, was the first to meet
with the robbers. He was standing i'm the
stock yards near the Exchange building
in which the bank is located when he was
addressed by three men who sprang out of
a fence corner with revolvers in their
hands They said: We want you, Phil
pot and with that overpowered him be-
tore he could reach his revolver.
Waterman Bound and Gagged.
The three robbers took Philpot to the
composing room of the Daily National
"N'Nn iu' lNVpol itl near DS anu ldlt MIN
on the floor. He was bound hand and foot
and gagged with towels. While lying there
three other men came in
While he was lying on the floor Philpot
heard the leader of the robbers say: Lei
XIII him. He was deferred from doing this
Phllpot says, by the other robbers. One of
the men was sent out with iniunctions to
secure anybody else in the vicinity. Albert
Estep, the other bank watchman was
caught on the steps of the exchange blid-
ing. The robber went up to Estep and ad-
dressed hlm by name. Thinking it vas a
TREND Estep was taken unaware and a
revolver was thrust into his face and nm
der threats of death he was forced to go
TO the composing room, where he was al SO
bound and gagged.
Night Fireman l.. W. Clark was taken
unaWareS In the steam plant of the En-
change building. He resisted and was
badly beaten before he was subdued He
was also taken to the composing room and
ieTt bound and gagged with his two com
panions.
Guarded the Captivex
About midnight one of the robbers was
left to guard the three captives while the
other hSe Went to the bank, which is locat-
ed on the .flTst floor of the Exchange build
ing, near the center. With nitroglycerine
the robbers blew open the steel doors of
the vault. These doors of a double thick
ness of steel, were shattered and the banks
books and papers blown into shreds. En-
tering the vault, the big steel safe, with
quadruple plate doors, was next encoun-
tered Ihese doors were drilled and a
charge of the explosive inserted which
blew them off. The explosion DESTROYED
more DOCKS and papers and scattered
about $500 in gold and silver upon the floor.
Ih1s money was not taken by the robbers.
They took all the currency and other coin
amounting to about 5000, as nearly as the
banks officers can estimate. The five men
left the bank and signalled to the one who
was guarding the captive watchmen and
fireman and he Joined his companions
Five minutes after the robber guard left
the composing room Estep, who had not
Deen bound securely worked loose and re-
leased Clark and Phiipot This was about
O'Clock. Estep then ran to the telephone
and called up Charles T. Jones. general
manager of the stock yards, and President
c. Gordon Knox of the Stock Yards Bank
and they hurried to the stock Yards
Took the Wrong Night for 1t.
Mr.. Knox said that if the robbers had
made their haul the night before thev
would have secured about $4,000 more than
they got. They did not take any of the
banks papers, most of which We're dam
aged by the two explosions The vault and
safe present a scene Of wreck and ruin,
All the robbers wore masks. In addition
to the 5000 the robbers secured $3.50 left
with the bank by Assistant Postmaster
Bushnell Of the stock yards This is the
bank whose officers recently Swore out
warrant charging Theodore Duddleston the
assistant cashier with embezzling $4,000