The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-05-19
BANK BANDITS
In New York Act Just Like the
Old James Gang.
TOWN HELD AT BAY
BY Masked Men. While Their Confeder
ates Blew Open the Bank Vault
and Carried Off One Hundred
Thousand Dollars in Cash
and Bank Notes.
and Bank Notes.

thousand Dollars in Cash
and Bank Notes.
millionaire citizens of Gilbertsville,
N. Y, are planning to offer a big re-
ward for the capture of five masked
bandits who on Tuesday night, May 2,
blew open and n bbed the safe If the
town bank, and then at pistols points
made good their escape via Mount
Upton and Norwich. This rCboery,
which netted the thieves upward of
Sl00. 600 In cash and negotiable secu.
rifles, was one Of the boldest that has
ever been perpetrated In New York
State, and ranks with the deeds Of
Jesse James and the Dalton Brothers
for skill and daring.
a fl)od of kilograms and telephone
messages have been sent all over the
country, giving a dtailed description
OF two OF the bandits and a general
description Of the other three. De-
tectives In the larger cities who have
been consulted declare that the men
who dynamited the safe were experts
at the work, and that they have be-
|
into money, divided their cash and
disappeared.
1t is case OF dynamite, division
and silence" said the Sheriff of Chen
ango County, as he announced hi,
search for the men had ended at the
depot at Norwich. 'They had every
move planned; they knew every train
ana every foot Of the ground, and as
soon as they had turned the trick.
and had the money in their pockets,
they simply busted and got clean
away"
The fact that every telephone and
telegraph wire that led out of the
town bad been cut SHOWS that the
men knew exactly the lay OF the land.
When the first explosion wa heard by
the citizens Of ,Gilbertsville they made
frantic attempts to call the police Of
adJ lining townships, but the wires
were severed aud they could not even
call their next door neighbors.
Tue bank which was ROBBED Is in a
private institution owned by e. @.
Rrower, one Of the wealthiest men in
the town. A number OF New York
millionaires have residences here, and
they make use Of the bank safe to
store their securities, jewels and even
their cash. Owing to the large sums
that are generally drawn by the richer
depOSitors the bank makes it rule to
nave large sum OF cash on hand all
the time.
All This the safe blowers seemed to
know full we'll. They slipped into
town on Tuesday night as soon as the
hvc hundred inhabitants were in bed .
Then they cut the wires, and then
Effected an entrance into the bank
Itself. All five OF the men were
masked. Two Of them stol d on guard
outside the bank, while the other
three went inside to superintend the
blowing of the safe. 1t took four
heavy charges OF dynamite to finally
wrench the doors from the big steel
box, and while these charges were
being exploded the two guarus on the
outside held The town at bay with six.
Sho tiers.
When the noise Of the first explo.
sion reused the sleeping inhabitants.
edward E. StocIwell hurriedly dress
ed and ran into the street. He ran
into the arms Of one. OF the bandit
guaros who threw him to the ground
in an instant. With the aid of his
companion he bound and gagged
StockWell, and then cody robbed him
OF large sum Of money and his
watch and chain. StockWell had 3ith
him the money belonging to the store
he conducts, and it is reported that
his loss will seriously embarrass him
unless the company charges the sum
to profit and loss.
BY the time the bandits had dis.
posed Of StoCkwell other citiz,ns be.
!. gan TO pour from their homes, only tC
be met with six shooters in the hands
OF desperate men.
Keep back from here" said the
bigger Of the guards. 1.-THE first one
J who approaches will be shot full oil
holes"
, The citizens ereawed, and as they
paused a second and then third ey
, pl Jsion was heard In the bank. Ther
, came the fourth explosion and tht
sound OF the three bauk rol b ers ripp
ng the broken safe to pieces witt
crowbars and pickaxes The inneI
com partments OF the safe were easil,
Wrenched open and the large store o
money and jewels quickly taken from
their resting places aud thrust int
the pockets OF the thieves.
AS soon as the last OF the valuable!
had been swept up, the bandits raj
out to reinforce the guards at TIL,
front Of the bank. Behind them the,
left wrecked building, before then
was Il crowd Of timid, badly scarce
l citizens. All the money and valua
nlts were transferred to one OF TIN
F.. gang, and then the other four sur
, rounded him as body guard, and tn
I b:cak for liberty was made.
D Groups + men stood In the street
I but they opened the way for the fv
I men who carried six shooters In thci
] hands as they marched by.
e The first man who attempts t
t follow us will be shot like dog" wa
the last stern warning the robber
gave as they left the village. The
made their way easily to the out
Z skirts OF the town, where they got in
I to a wagon that they had stolen an
;. started on a gallop for Mount Upton
+, five miles away. Several small posse
- were organized at once, and the chas
= began. The robbers were followe
+" unit! they reached the hills. Ther
:, they left their horse and wagon /
> the road and took to the woods ei
q lectually throwing their pursuers o