The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-01
THEY SAVED THE BANK
Maryland Villagers Rallied and
Drove on a Rohbar Gang.
The Quaker SettIeme nt Of Sandy Springs
Assembled at the Call of a Second
Paul Revere-Burgiars Fooled.

Sandy Springs. Md.-Five masked
and heavily armed men made a des.
perate attempt to loot the vault of the
Sandy Springs Savings Bank at l a. m.
Their plans were carried out in true
Western style. After the first explo-
sion, which partly wrecked the big
steel vault, in which there was nearly
5000, 900 in cash. a hastily organized
vigilance committee Of citizens ap-
peared on the scene and the robbers
fled, covering their retreat by q fusil.
lade of revolver and rifle shots. The
vigilance committee replied with re-
volvers and shot guns and the running
fight continued through the main
streets Of the little town. and several
miles out in the country, where the
d~esDeradoes scattered and escaped.
Within the past two years several
unsuccessful attempts have been made
to rob the savings bank. 1t is gener-
ally known that the institution is
wealthy, and that large sums Of money
are constantly kept on hand. Sandy
Springs is a Quaker settlement, and the
farmers and even their hired hands are
thrifty.
Last week three strangers came to
| town and put up at the best hotel.
They were plentifully supplied with
money and spent it freely, but for one
reason or another Sandy Springs was
not f%ayorably impressed. 1t was no
ticed that the strangers very frequent
ly had money changed in the savings
bank and that they seemed to be ex-
tremely interested in the vaults and in
the architecture of the building. Last
Saturday they left town.
On the night Of the attempt at rob-
berry, T. L. Thomas, the Secretary OF
the bank, was walking toward his
home, about a mile outside of Sandy
Springs. He came across five men.
three of them carrying satchels, and
all of them masked, walking In the
direction of the bank.
The men did not see Mr.. Thomas,
and he Immediately left the main road
and took a short cut back to the town,
where he hurried up and down the
street like a twentieth century Paul
Revere, ~arousing the citizens and urg-
ing them to make for the savings bank
with all the heavy artillery they could
get together on such short notice.
Sandy Springs is not a very big place.
md it was not very long before scantily
clad men and boys, some Of them
armed aud some of them not, were hur-
rying from their homes and making on
the run for the savings bank build
ing.
But before any of them reached it
there was a terrific explosion which
shattered the windows Of the houses
on Main street near the bank.
One of the excited v%igilantes fired his
shotgun at long range and this started
a fusillade which lasted: fully half an
hour. The five bank robbers replied
with rifles and revolvers as they re-
treated toward the open country, and
the main street in the morning looked
as if it had been gone over with a fur
row.
Not q citizen was even touched by a
bullet, however, and the robbers were
not hurt, either. At any rate, they got
away.
When the bank vault was examined,
it was found that a charge OF. nitro
| glycerine had been inserted in holes
drilled around the lock. The door was
partly wrecked, but the hinges and
lock held, and before the burglars had
time to fire a second charge. the vigil
lance committee arrived on the scene.
Sandy Springs, which. in addition to
being a Quaker settlement, IS operated
On the community of interest plan, was
made the subject Of q lengthy report
by the Bureau Of Labor several years
ago. 1t was pointed out as a modei
settlement of its kind. The Friends in
Sandy Springs treat their laborers well,
provide them with homes, pay them
we'll. and see that they save a fair pro-
portion Of their wages.