Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-28
BANK OF WATERLOO ROBBED
Burglars Blow Up Safe and Get Away
with the Cash.
THlRN-FIyE HUNDRED DOLLARS TAKEN
Noise Attracts Citizens, who Gather
Around the Building, hut No
81 One Is Hurt I'm Ex-
change of shots.

WATERLOO, Neb.. Jan. 27.-(Special
Telegram THE Citizens State bank OF
this place was robbed at o'clock this
morning. The robbers secured SS,5OO OF
this sum s2,7O0 was in currency and the
balance in gold and silver. The damage to
the safe and furniture is estimated at $500.
The bank is fully protected by insurance.
The robbers, of whom there we're at least
three, and perhaps four, gained an entrance
through the front window by removing
pane OF glass. They carefully avoided dis
turbing the burglar alarm.
Their work inside the building was easily
and quickly accomplished The safe stands
outside of the vault and it was completely
wrecked by a charge of nitroglycerine.
The noise of the explosion awakened the
people in the vicinity of the bank and they
soon gathered around but were kept back
by the robbers. A number of shots were
exchanged but no one was hurt.
In the confusion and darkness the bur
glars made their escape with their booty
and although a posse was soon assembled,
there is little clue upon which to work.
Strange Men Are Suspected.
Several strange men in a wagon we're
seen north of town yesterday and it is
thought that they may be the robbers. To-
day it said the outfit had gone towards
Omaha and the officers there have been
notified to be on the lookout for it.
Detective Franklin and posse, with
bloodhounds, took the trail from the
wrecked bank. The hounds seemed some
what confused and were unable to get
start.
After an hour J. W. Miller. one of the
posse, found a roll Of bills tucked under a
nj in ha nd ba1
from Waterloo. The dogs were taken to
the barn. At noon they were in full
chase to the north of Waterloo. The
trail is fresh and the race will be hard.
Illinois Bank Is wrecked.
sTEELvILLE, ILL.,, Jan. 27.-Robbers
! blew open the vault of the Bank of Steel
vile at O'Clock this morning and secured
! $4,000, with which they escaped in a car
riage. The sheriff at Chester was notified
at an early hour and has left with a posse
for the scene of the robbery.
The Steelville village authorities have
notified the authorities at Carthage, st.
Louis and East st. Louis, as well as the
constabulary of all the small towns within
a radius of fifty miles, and 1t is believed
the robbers will be captured before night.
Nitroglycerine was used to open the
|
before the robbers could gain entrance.
| One man did the work inside the building
while another stood guard on the sidewalk
outside.
Paul thinner an engineer in Gilster's
mill, was awakened by the report of the
| first explosion. Mr.. thinner, who lived
next door, glanced out of his front window
toward the bank and saw the man standing
on the sidewalk. Dressing hurriedly Mr..
thinner went down through the alley in
the rear Of his house to the mill and in
formed the mill employees.
Woman is Warned.
thinner and the men then armed them
selves and started back toward the bank
Three other explosions were heard in the
bank building in quick succession. The last
explosion was followed by a crashing OF
glass, and sheets of flame poured from the
bank windows.
Mrs. thinner in the meantime had dressed
herself and was standing on the lawn OF
their dwelling, which adjoins the bank
property, watching the robbers. She
screamed to her husband to hurry up OF
the robbers would get away with the
money.
The robber on guard turned toward the
woman and lourished a revolver and said
shut up or I'll blow your head off,"
Turning to the bank the robber asked
his confederate: Are you all right. JIM
Hurry up and scrape up the cash. for they
are after us. but l will blow the head of
the first man l see."
The mill is only two blocks from the
bank, but so rapidly had the robbers
worked that the vault was blown, the
money gathered up and the two men were
running rapidly up the street by the time
Mr. thinner and his posse had armed
themselves and started back toward the
bank The men left town in an easterly