Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-10-31

4 . S 'V(.OLUME.l2..s II = :. ':<: / \: /,
..... BANK BuRcLARlzED ! !.
1 4 Unsuccessful Attempt to Rob Safe .,
aa<~ aa<e State Bank Of ksrkhovsn; Early.
$z@ $z , Thursday Morning. =. ~
4. Burglars broke into the State Bank
OF kerkhoven yesterday morning and
a 9s attempted to blow open the time lock
safe in which the money is kept. The
safe withstood the attack, and the
burglars had to leave without any
Z booty. An entrance to the bank
building was effected by breaking out
= the window in the rear room. The
( door leading from the rear room to
the front or main room was opened by
{ inserting charge of nitro-glycerine
IN the lock and exploding it. Before
going to the bank the robbers had
broken into the railway tool house
and secured q crowbar and two light
sledge hammers. With the hammers
they attacked the vault door, knocked
Oft the dial that works the combina-
tion and succeeded in getting the outer
vault door open. The inner door of
the vault was evidently opened with a
key, as it was in no wise defaced. It
is thought a charge of nitro-glycerine
was used in opening the outer, vault
door. After getting into the vault it
was necessary for them to open the
Diebo1d time lock safe in. which the
money is kept. A quantity of nitro.
glycerine was worked. in around. the
outer door of the safe and exploded
but it was not sufficient to do. more
than blow out a part of the felt pack
ing around the door and the robbers
no doubt concluded they would not be
able to open it and left. ,~s - -"
The explosions were heard by VIM.
!. Asping, the night man at the Mer-
chants Hotel. He concluded there was
something wrong and called up Some
Ut the boys .atthe hotel: They went
up town, heard the snoise in the bank
and Immediately notified Cashier
Hough and Mr.. Backlund Both Mr..
Hough and Mr.. .eBacklund, as we'll as
several others, arrived upon the scene
before the robbers left the bank but
did not care to get too close for fear
OF being shot.
How many men there were in the
gang is not known further than there
were at least two, as they could be
heard talking as they walked away.
The burglars left the building thru
: the rear door and went out to the side
walk by going between the bank build
ing and Nyquist & Westerdah1's
hardware store. They then turned
east and followed the sidewalk as far
as the Observation-Disclosures Mr.. Hough
!: and sCharncey Frye who we're just
across the street behind a pile of lun-
ber at the time, heard them talking
and walk as they left but it was So
dark they could: not make. out how.
many there were. Nothing was: seen
Or heard Of them after they reached
the restaurant and, it, is not known
how they got out Of: town. The rob-
berry occurred between. I:3O and 2:3O
O'Clock. The east bound. morning
train was watched. but no one got out
of town on it and it is evident they
either walked away or had some sort
of convey ance of their own. ~ j. j. :.
MIR. Hough says that . stranger
who passed the bank several: times the
day before the robbery attracted his
attention because of the close scrutiny
he was giving the interior Of the: bank
and it is of the opinionsthat this man.
may have had something to do with
the; burglary Other wise no suspicious
characters were seen. around town and,
1it is hard to get any clue on which to.
work in, in stitutipg . search for the
robbers. = Z. y. *5s$ s:. .5
A piece of metal that was blown off:
either the vault door or. the lock on,
the door leading to the rear room went
thru one of the large plate glass win
dows in the front Of the building. This.
glass was worth about csc. The other.
damage: done win prob ably bring the
aggregate 81: q something like $3.50:
= Since the above was rritten we
learn that one:of the stores at Pennock
was 5s also burg glarized ednesday
night and that the men who did the
Job st Ole y 9hand-c az there on which toE
GET out 81 town. Is possi BE that:
the e5same gang made the attempt at
irobblng the bank here, coming up on
the hand Gar and getting away on IS
5afterward sss Kerkh khovenSB 3 tanner; 26th
inst: Z sE. Z. {: sE
5szss Grocery Store Clos s. IS.
a The grocery esta shme9nlt of ot,i. !.
5Scudder was closed 4 to- business last.
,,Thursd day, this 10 4 oyeg s being necessi;
.tated #on acc cunt of tie lack snfn1iI !
cient1 to keep the Gestab'll fsh4t
ment going There are everal twin
city wholesa ales houses who are dit
Il IIn,,g Ct sT1aiI1 1