The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-11-17
BLOW A SAFE
AND Then FIGHT
"kid" Parker and "Yorkie",
Well Known Crooks, Cap
tured After Hard Fight.
OFFICERS CLEVER WORK
Ambushed Them After Battle at Wake,
field Saloon Where Robbers Blew
Safe and Escaped-WeIl
Known in Sioux City.

Wakefield, Neb. Nov. After a.
running gun fight with a trio
of bank robbers, who blew the safe
Of the Matejka saloon about 2:30
O'Clock this morning, a posse of officers
III charge Of Constable Green captured
two of the robbers, who are now in Jail
at Ponca.
Before the robbers We're o1erpowered
several shots We're exchanged, and one
of the crooks. Jack Lynch, alias
"Yorkie." was severely wounded in the
right side and arm. kid" Parker.
alias kid" O'Brien, we'll known in
Sioux city and Minneapolis, where he
was a member of the gang of burglars
who shot and killed Police officer Mey-
er Of st. Paul in 1902, was unhurt. He
was captured, and in an interview with
Detective Richard of Sioux City. who
Is here today, he admitted he had been
caught with the goods.
Parker and Lynch and a third crook.
who is still at large. though pursued
closely by officers, arrived here early
last evening. They came dow from
Yankton. S. D., to Sioux City Monday
Afternoon and expected to meet
failed to show up. Parker and Lynch
refuse to tell who the third member of
the party is. but the officers believe he
Is a man named Nash, a crook who re-
Gently completed a term at the Sioux
Falls ~penitentiary, and who is sus-
pected Of a safe job in Sioux Falls
since being released.
Wrecked tho Building.
About $3.50 o'clock his morning
Night Waterman Cramer, patrolling
the main business street Of the town,
heard a tremendous explosion at the
saloon OF NJ. Il. Matejfn. Cramer was
less than a block aW ay and ran i'm
mediately to the place. Through the
front window OF the saloon, broken to
bsts by the safe door, which was blown
through 1t, Cramer saw three figures
dimly outlined by a dark lanterns
rays ear the safe, which stands about
five feet from the windo and back Of
the Oar.
Here, YOU fellows. what the devil
are you doing?" shouted Cramer draw
ing his revolver.
We'll show you," replied n of the
robbers, firing a revolver point blank
Mt Cramer as he spoke.
Cramer unlimbered his artillery and
for a minute a hail OF lead swept the
street.
The nightwatch lodged behind a bar
ricade of dry goods boxes in front If
a store and emptled his pistol. the rob-
bers returning shot for shot.
Citizens Reused by Firing.
The terrific explosion and the bang
ing OF the reyOlvers of Cramer ana the
robbers aroused the citizens, who cane
pouring from the buildings, some armed
with guns and others with whatever
weapons were accessible.
Constable Green. who slept not far
from the scene of the burglary, heard
the firing, and grabbing a gun hurried
to the place. He arrived in time to see
the three burglars running swiftly
down an alley. He and Cramer, who
had ,.p1naIa1 hiS piSto1 fraJ rorD,oI
shots at the f%ugitives, who promptly re-
turned the fire.
Green watched the men as they ran
east along the railroad track and then
summoning four nervy citizens he
ar1ned them. and taking a rig started
by a circuitous route to head Off the
robbers.
Three miles east of town the party
drew up at a railroad crossing and
s~tationing the men at a point COM
handing the track. they lay In wait for
the approaching crooks.
Through the still night the party
could hear grufr voices in earnest
approaching on a fast walk. 1t was
yet dark and difficult to see more than
Il hundred yards.
Tho Burglars Appear.
Presently Green and his party made
out W figures approaching rapidly.
Keep quiet. boys. until they are
close" commanded the constable.
When within fifty yards of the party
in ambush. one OF the crooks stopped
as II he suspected something.
Immediately Green stepped to She
middle Of the track with drawn gun.
Halt" he shouted. Put up you>
hands!!"
GO to hi" yelled n of the men,
h has since been identified as
He fired at Green who Immediately
responded. Parker, the other crook,
drew his gun and fired several shots.
all of which went wild.
One Of the men in GREEN'S party
was armed with d repeating shotgun.
He poured shot after shot into the
robbers and Lynch finally screamed in
agony and threw down his pistol at the
same time %elevating his hands.
stop, stop, for Gods sake; I'm hit"
he yelled.
"All off VITA you, Yorkie?" asked
Parker. throwing down his gun.
Yes"
Robbers Surrendered Then.
Bleeding from a severe wound in his
right side and arm, where q load Of
shot had %ploughed it way. "Yorkie" or
Lynch begged the officers to get q
doctor.
Firing ceased and the men were
taken in charge. Their revolvers were
picked up and the two We're carried to
the rig in waiting and brought to the
city where a physician attended them.
AT first neither of the prisoners
would talk. but when Detective Rich
ard of sioux City arrived by a morn
ing train, meeting the party at Cobur.N
Junction. Parker, Who immediatel;
recognized Richard. weakened.
Il know you. all right" he said. ME
and my pal here blew the safe an the