The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1907-04-12
EPHRATA BANK ROBBERY
Four Men Engaged In Daring Deed
are Captured by HOrsemen

ing attempt was made to rob the bank
OF Ephrata. The town of Ephrata i:
located in Douglas county, on the
Great Northern railway, about fifty mile:
east of Wenatchee.
The following particulars are taken
from the account sent to the Spokane
papers:
The attempted robbery was we'll
timed, and had the safecrackers sue
ceeded in getting thru the inner door
they would have been we'll repaid for
their efforts, as considerable sum Of
money was in the safe at the time, be-
ing on deposit to pay laborers engaged
in sheep shearing on adjacent ranches.
For daring, desperate work and dis
regard of danger the crime at Ephrata
deserves to take first rank with the old
time escapades of the James boys and
the Dalton gang.
In the duel which preceded the ban
dts escape the officers were we'll con-
cealed in the dark, while the light by
which the robbers worked was a shining
target for the officers. Not one OF the
men was hurt. The amount Of booty
secured will not exceed eighty dollars,
and has been recovered. All the dy-
Mantle used failed to penetrate the in
ner vault of the safe, where the treasure
is kept.
Residents of Ephrata were awakened
about one o'clock Saturday morning by
heavy charge of nitroglycerine. This
was repeated when Mrs. Mary McGrath,
who lives across the. street from where
the robbery was attempted, left her
house and went out into the black
night to the Ephrata hotel and gave
the alarm.
]. M. Pierce and Deputy Sheriff A.
A. Lytle had been awakened by the
noise and were the first to respond.
They ran one block and with the Pho
neer store for protection began to shoot
in the direction of the bank. Since
nothing could be seen in the darkness,
their aim was imperfect.
- Later, after another charge had ex-
ploded, light appeared in the bank
and at this shot after shot was fired.
Then another charge resounded and
the large doors of the safe were heard
to fall upon the floor. A fierce duel
followed this, about one hundred shots
being exchanged. Again the light ap-
peared in the bank and again shot after
shot was sent at the light. Meantime
another charge had been placed and
ignited. This charge must have taken
off the steel cap of the safety vault door
and sent it whirling thru the bank.
Again the light appeared in the build
ing. The robbers went closer in the
hope of gaining the money wanted,
only to find they had yet several inches
of steel between them and their booty
One held the light while the other used
a heavy bar obtained from the Great
Northern section house. A small crew
ice was made at the bottom of the
vault. Into this more nitroglycerine
was placed and another discharge was
heard. During the preparation of the
last charge the bullets from the officers
came too thick for the robbers, and
after looking to see if the last charge
had opened the vault, they left without
getting anything for their trouble.
Seven different charges Of nitroglycer-
inc were exploded on the vault Look
ing at the strong box now one mavels
how it could have withstood the re-
peated attacks, yet the safety vault has
only a small hole in the bottom An
other charge would have given the
robbers the cash which they were look
ing for, but the shots rained in upon
them too fast.
The robbers worked about an hour.
There were four OF them engaged.
One held a position and the north and
another on the south corner, while the
remaining two worked upon the safe.
]. L. Pierce who lives not ten feet
away from the Bank building, attemp-
ted to come out but was told to stay