The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-28
SAn%ER ia 14& y

in the grass under the big tree that had
contained nitroglyCeriu. This WAS proof
that the men wee experienced, because the
explosive had been handled in such a way
" demoliShinS the :linSy little one-story
building.
EVERY MOVEMENT Is TRACED.
Every move OF the thieves was traced after
they began their work They were first seen
by Doctor Clarence AIcNett a ten minutes
past midnight. Doctor McNett. on the
way home from visit to Il patient. saw
them standing under the tree near the bank.
They carried blankets and old clothes.
In fact. the doctor thought one Of the
party was woman unit! he saw them walk
down the street fifty yards TO the town
pump. While they stood there the doctor
went on home. suSDucting nothing.
The men went TO the pump to soak tho
blankets and these were afCerward found
under the shattered safe doors, where they
had been spread to mufte the sound Of the
crash. These blankets We're stolen from Z.
{. Aliens barn across the street from the
bank.
two hours before the first explosion. After
he had passed the men left the pump and
gained entrance to the bank through back
window. TIE remainder OF the time was
spent in boring the hole i'll the safe door
for the explosive and in preparing for the
blast.
Tho first explosion occurred at 2 o'clock
and was well timed, because a heavy freight
train was passing only half block away.
Because of this most of the villagers who
heard the noise thought it was a torpedo on
the railroad track. Those who lived around
the bank building, however, soon discovered
the real cause.
After the searchers returned to the village
Marshall Pichen led another party to scour
the surrounding country. Among the leaders
We're Roy Mentch. the bankers son: j. 2.
Pichen, William Gruenwald and d. N. Or
ringer.
They traced the bandits across Thomp-
sons farm and thence south to The river,
whore they discovered that a boat had been
used hS' the robbers. \ few hours later this
boat was found on the opposite side of the
river. II became evident that the men were
heading for Chicago. and probably had
caught one Of the early morning freight
t.llIs.
BANKER FIGURES HIS LOSS.
The morning trains brought insurance sd-
iusters and detectives to the scene and
Banker Mentch was kept busy in the ruins
Of the bank figuring his losses. II was
finally discovered that $3.50 in bank notes
had been taken. Two thousand dollars of
this was in unopened packages of $1,000
each, shipments from Chicago two days be-
fore
Mentch had drawn the money in order to
cash the checks OF railroad workmen, men
in the gravel pits and laiorers at work on 4
new factory near the town. 1t is his belief
that the robbers had been aware that th,
money was coming and had waited for it TO
arrive.
Lafe Van Thusen. detective. discovered
during the day that three men who had
been stopping at Peterson's boarding house
left without announcing their departure.
Peterson gave q description of these men
to the police, and one of them tallies with
the vague description OF the tall man who
stood watch and WAS seen by Mrs Wolf
L could not the mans face" said
Mrs. Wolf. because he Wore a mask. 1
know he was tall. and l think he had a
heavy mustachc. / would have fred before
I did. but ] was afraid the men would shoot
me. II was dark and no one was around to
protect us If the robbers had turned on us"