The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1904-01-22
BULLETS Fly At MlEAN
Bank Burglars and Citizens
Shot at Each Other.
PAIR OF ROBBERS STOOD GUARD
While Two OF the Desperadoes Held
Four Men or With Rapid Firing
Revolvers, the Other Two Looted
the Safe--Seven Explosions.

ReVolVers, the Other Two Looted
the Safe--Seven Explosions.
Mclean, Ncb.. Jan. 2O.-It is
thought that the authorities now have
"A clue to the four robbers who looted
the Mclean state bank carly yostor.
day morning -Four men got off the
Short Line train from Sioux city the
night before and they are suspected.
While two of the robbers with rap
id firing rcvolvcrs stood off four cit
izons who were armed with double
barreled shotguns, the other two went
inside and dynamitod the safe.
But the persistent and noisy dcmon-
stration made by the citizens hurried
the robbers so much that they depart
ed leaving 5000 in the inner com
partmcnt of the safe.
Still firing bullets at the citizens,
the robbers rctrcatcd to the south
and disappeared in the darkness.
There are only about twenty men In
the town and only four were present
to resist like number of desperate
burglars. No one was hurt by the
fussiladcs but the whole village was
cringing in terror.
Seven Explosions.
There were seven explosions, nitro
Glycerinc being used freely. Rev. Mr..
Moe, pastor of the Methodist church,
was the first to be aroused. His home
Is about 40 yards from the bank. He
went to the residence of Emil Boohlor,
agent for the Edwards & Bradford
company, and hardware dealers here.
The two got Charles Burrows, hotel
keeper, and George jerks, travelling
salesman from Sioux city, and pro-
ccedcd to the hardware store and
armed themselves with shotguns.
Their presence on the streets had not
been observed, and when they began
firing in the direction Of the bank to
bring the robbers into the open two
of the bandits came out and fired vol
ley after volley at the citizens.
Meanwhile the two robbers inside
proceeded with their work and worked
for some time but finally gave it up
and retreated.
Work on Safe.
The robbers went about their work
deliberately. A base burner with a
glowing fire stood right in front Of the
safe. Evidently fearing an explosion
would knock the stove down and set
fire to the building, thus thwartlng
their plans, the burglars carried water
from a nearby well, extinguished the
| fire, removed the stove pipe, and set
the stove to one side.
Operations were then begun on the
safe. The big door was blown off, but
| the inner door was tough The best
| they could do was to bend it up from
the bottom, making an aperture about
| four inches wide. Try their best they
could not make the opening any great
er. A crowbar, which with other tools
had been stolen from the blacksmith
shop of Fritz FOdock, was used to
| pry open this stubborn door, and when
the crowbar broke the robbers had
exhausted their resources. They then
had to reach through this awkward
opening and extract the money. All
they could reach was $500, and had to
desert the place leaving $1,000 behind
II the robbers had chosen the night
before for their depreciation they
might have Jared better. There was
then about $4,000 in the safe. Yester
day a shipment of currency was made
to the banks Sioux City correspond
ent, and several large checks were
paid off on that day.
Money Bent.
Some of the money which the bur
glars could not reach felt the effect:
of the explosives. Coins were BEN
and bills mutilated The money which
was left was today placed in banl
at Randolph. The bank will not re
sumo business until the Aetna Indem
nifty company, in which the institu
ton was insured for $4,000, adjusts
the loss.
The Mclean State bank was orga
nized in 1901, with $4,000 capital
Its deposits have run large and it ha!
had a very prosperous existence. The
officers are: President Cliff A. Smitl
of Washta, Ia; vice president, f. f
Barnes of Mclean; cashier, A. II. Nc
Connell of Mclean. One of the di
rectors is w. T. Mcconnell of Wash
ington Springs, S. D., president o
the Washington Springs Nationa
bank.