Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1903-04-30
BOLD BANK ROBBERY.
ROBBERS ENTER THE RANK
AT LAGRANGE.
The Vault is Dynamited and Sc, 400
Secured-The Robbers Were
Professionals-Made Good
Their Escape.

Lie udHk aG La grange was robbie
: Monday night between and 2 2o'cloc1
| and So, 400 taken from the vault
which was blown open with dyna
mite. The work was done by pro
fessionals, who not only knew how
to do the business, but who made ex
cellent preparations for their escape
as soon as they had completed theil
job, by stealing a horse. and buggy
and having it convenient.
| The robbers came near addino
murder to their crime. Mr.. Richard
WoOten was sleeping over a store
across the street and heard the ex-
ploslon when the safe was blown
open. He got up and struck a match.
He then heard a second explosion
and saw flash of light in the bank.
lie knew at once what was going on
| and realized e mistake he had
made in striking the match. He
blew out the light and went down
stairs IN the dark to get his gun, Tn
looking for the weapon he stumbled
over ploW. Instantly the sharp re-
port OF pistol rang out on the still
ness of the Dight and ball shattered
through the plate glass window in
front of the store and passed close
enough to the head of Mr.. Wooten
to hear it splitting the air. Under !
such disadvantage Mr.. WOoten had .
to remain very quiet until the bur
glars left, when he gave the alarm.
People who heard the SHOOTING
thought it renewal Of the hostilities
of the day before, when Mr.. Richard
Wootcn and Mr.. Bill Harper had
quite difficulty and there were sew
eral shots fired. On this account the
people who were awakened by the
noise did not come as hurrledly to
the scene as they would have done
had they known what the trouble
really was. In a short while, how
ever, a crowd got together and began
a search for the burglars, but it was
loo late, ,as they had made good their
escape and left no trace of their de-
oarture that could be seen at night.
Early next morning it was found ,
hat three buggies had left the town
It night. When the hired man went I
,ut to feed the horse of DIR. Mark {
Hodges he found that both the horse I
md buggy were gone. I
DR.. Hodges came TO this city next s
morning on the II o'clock train and
ound that his horse and buggy had i
'een left tied toa tree beside the road {
bout one mile from this city. The
orse showed signs of having been i
riven very hard and may be seri-
usly injured.
The doctor said that the tracks of
nree buggies were seen next morn
1g in LaGrange. and that mules :
7ere hitched to two of the buggies. :
is supposed that the two mules !
nd buggies were stolen from some
ne in the country who has not been q
card from. This supposition is con- :
rmed by the fact that only two .
range looking men got off the night -
ain in LAGRANGE that night. They Il
ing around the depot for some time Il
i'd finally walked off down the rail- F"
ad. :"
Two strangers walked into a sa- IL
on in this city about o'clock that IL
orning and called for something to %
ink and something to eat. When io
Id that they could perhaps get some
ing to eat at a negro restaurant d
ross the street, which was the only th
ace open at that time, they replied SO
at they did not patronize such wv
aces, as they had plenty of money -
pay for what they wanted at first SO
lss places.
The bank which they robbed be-
lged to Rouse Bros, who carried a ma
rglar policy of $4,000 which will WI
yer their losses. Ian