The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-02-16
CONVICT coNFEssEs.
Paddy Carroll Tells How Springfield
Bank Robbery Was Done,

| Sioux Falls, S. D., Feb. 14.-Contrary t
i The usual custom OF expert bank wreckers
who decline to talk OF their exploits ant
/; methods. Paddy" Carroll. who with tl1re,
companions was recently placed In thu
Sioux Falls penitentiary to serve Ions
| terms for the robbery Of the bank OF
Springfield, 8. D., on the morning of DC
| tober 5 last made a statement for publica
| ton. Himself and companions secured
the sum Of $500 in cash as the result Of
the Springfield robbery. and escaped fol
the time being by Selling the team ant
who was visiting in Springfield the nigh
OF the robbery.
CARROTS statement, which throws new
light on many features Of the robbery, is
as follows:
l left Parkston on Monday, October 2
ana aI1 drove to Tyndall with horse trader
We REACHED Tyndall at about 9 o'clock p
m. At Tyndall we got hold of a sack and
bought some canned goods, bread and beer
The horse trader left this stun under the
railway bridge just below Springfield for
into Niobrara.
We walked down from Tyndan to
sprlngfeld on Tuesday night. stopping at
!M NC for a drink, 1t was that called
down to the bridge, ate lunch, went up
to the stock yards and got drink of wa
ter and then went up town.. We waited
lIcc UtNNceH SoIlOW mouse
up town and looked over the situation.
All day Wednesday we hid in the brush
along the river and not form from the
bridge.
Wednesday at about midnight we went
up town and by 2:3O o'clock Il. m broke
an the front door of the bank. AL first we
tried to pick hole In the side of the
vault. We soon decided that the would
take too long, so we gave up the plant I
then went to blacksmith shop and got a
heavy hammer. We soon had the locks
all off and got at the safe.
gave the safe two light charges, but the
door held fast. The third charge was a
he gay one one and It was cuckoo"
found that we would have to have a team
to haul it out OF town, as Il was too heavy
70 carry. We planned on crossing the
river but with the team we would have
10 go to Trip. The bus team was tho
ilrst one we looked at. but they were tou
heavy, and then we ran onto the Green
field rig and took it,
IT took us just two hours and thirty
minutes to drive to the grove east of Trip
Inc team was never put on the run a sin.
gle minute. 1t was good team, in fact
the best 1t has ever been my pleasure to
draw a rein over.
We were not more than forty minutes in
the bank. and we did not see single soul.
ner: while we went after the team, a man
with a siXteen-shot Winchester rifle stood
over 1t with instructions to shoot everyone
that came in sight This rifle we threw
into creek while we drove over bridge.
' In the grove we turned the team into a
fence SO that they could not get at water
while they were so warm. We then turned
the rig over so that it could not be seen
from the highway.
I We got into Tripp and under the water
tank In time to catch the early morning
freight. We. went to Mitchell and from
there to Woolsey. From Woolsey we went
to Tracey. Mimi. where We had break,
fast on Thursday morning.
We were all old men and veterans at the
business. We had one big fellow with us.
This is believed to refer to "Yorkie," who
was captured in Nebraska I went through
Tyndall and stopped all day at Scotland
on the 21st of October l registered at the
Star hotel in Scotland as Geo. Arm
strong
have been at the business for twenty
two years, and as soon as l am out ex-
pect to go at 1t again Tell Mrs. DR..
Greenfield that we wish to thank her for
the bananas that she left In the rig.