The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1906-09-20
BANK ROBBERS
GET GOOD HAUL
Enter Underwood in Jesse James
Style and Get $4,000
CitizensTA Terrorzed and are Easily Held at
Bay While the Two Banks Are Looted
Posse Starts in Pursuit

Bismarck, Sept. 15.-Not since the
days when the Younger and James
gangs made their desperate raid on
Mortified, Minn., has there been in the
northwest such thrilling bank rob-
berry as that at Underwood, a small
town in Mclean county, north of Bis
marck, early this morning.
About o'clock, four armed men, ac-
cording to information received here,
rode horseback into the town, ham,
mered down the door of the two banks,
wrecked the safes with powerful ex-
plosives, packed up the booty of about
$4,000, held the crowd at bay and rode
away into the night. A posse was
quickly formed and started in pursuit
but no advices yet received indicate
whether the hunters were successful.
Underwood was asleep when the
raiders arrived. The little town is one
of that class of prairie villages that
never stay up at night. The main
street is deserted and dark at 10 OF clock.
A woman living in the outskirts of
the town was aroused from her slum-
ber by the clatter of hoofs. Peering
out into the darkness she. saw the dim
outlines of the cavalcade. She aroused
her husband, but when the hoofbeats
had ceased, they went back to sleep.
A little later they, and everybody else
in the town, were aroused by the noise
of several explosions.
Soon score of men who had hastily
dressed stumbled along toward the
main street. A few women followed
timidly and at distance.
There in front of the First State
bank was a bunch of horses that
pranced about nervously. The front
of the building appeared to be wrecked.
Several men came out. A thin cloud
of smoke seeped slowly thru the door
and broken windows, partly obscuring
the strangers.
There was no chance for the citizens,
who were unarmed, to make demon
stration against the raiders. One Of
the latter stepped out and yelled fol
everybody to be quiet and to return tc
their beds if they didn't want to gel
hurt. His tone and the threatening de.
meaner of his companions were such as
to intimidate. The crowd hestitated
Down the street another noise at
tracted the citizens, and they moved
cautiously in that direction. It was
Immediately realized that the Security
State bank was also to be looted-o1
had been. There were several stran
gers in front of that building; Others
were going in and coming out, eacl
time fastening bags of some kind K
the saddles of the horses.
It was difficult for the citizens t,
act concertedly. One man suggested
that they slip away to their homes 70,
weapons and return to a given point
Several men started out with this ens
In view. Several were halted by tn
raiders and compelled at the points O
guns and pistols to remain where the,
were.
Finishing their work at the bank
the raiders, still in complete possession
braved possible dangers by breaking
into several stores. They groped aroun
in the dark and found the tills, brok
them open and pocketed their contents
Getting together again, at a whistl
signal, they mounted and rode out o
town, some of them shouting derisivel
at the persons who stood helpless i