The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-06-28
Details of Robbery of Bing-
ham Lake Bank.
PACKAGE OF BILLS EVIDENCE
Attempt Will Be Made to Secure the
Money Chester and White Have
Deposited i'm Cities.

Inc WINDOW Reporter published the
following excellent story of the robbery
of the Bingham bank, together with in
cidents which have occurred since Sat
urday last:
Bingham Lake is neat little village
half a dozen miles east of Window, hav-
ing a bank, two or three stores, hum
Der yard, brick yard, blacksmith shop
and other enterprises usual in town OF
its size, including booze joint, whence
some OF the thirsty of this place repair
to wash the dust from their threats
and visit occasionally with their con-
vivial friends.
The bank is in a frame building, and
John Henderson is president; John Ben
son cashier. 1t is doing nice little bus
mess, is an enterprise of much merit
and value to the community, and just
the one for the burglar to attack.
The place is too small to afford a
night Waterman, and too quiet to lead
to the belief that band of highwaymen
would attack its financial institution.
The people are an honest, law-abiding,
industrious folk who sleep at night and
labor through the day, with no thought
of laying awake to drive away thieves
and perhaps risk their lives in efforts
to maintain law and order when every
body else ought to be in bed.
Such was the condition last Friday
night at Bingham Lake. Had it not
been for Sam Hyde, who happened to
be awake about two o'clock Saturday
morning, the robbery of the bank would
have been not only as complete as it
was, but the robbers would have escaped
with their booty.
But Sam happened to be laying
awake when he heard peculiar explos-
ion-something like a pistol shot. He
told his wife something must be wrong
in the neighborhood of the saloon, and
arose to look out the window, from
which he could look in the direction of
the bank. He saw a flash of light in
the bank, heard another explosion, and
hurriedly sought help, for he knew the
bank was being robbed. Awakening some
of the neighbors, John Franzen and Bert
Hart, they went to location behind
a threshing machine in the vicinity,
where they could watch results.
Bingham Lake, like all other enter
prising towns, has street lamps, and the
vicinity of the bank is almost as light
as day. The street lamp would give the
thieves an opportunity not only to work
but to watch the outside surroundings
and see if people approached All the
arms the boys had was an old pistol, in
the possession of Mr. Hyde, and this
was good for only one shot. At the dis
lance safety for unarmed men required
them to remain away, this would have
been more dangerous than helpful if
fired.
The boys studied the situation over
carefully, and while thus studying two
more explosions occurred, the men es-
capped through the rear of the building
and everything was quiet again, the
thieves feeling secure in their escape.
The boys reasoned it this way: That
the thieves would take the train one
way or another in few minutes, and
that they had timed their operations so
as to conclude them in time to get away
on No. 10, unobserved, since no one had
put in an appearance to distrub their
work. and no one living near the bank
would certainly warrant the thieves in
this thought.
The boys believed they would take
the train and that they could then be
caught at st. James. The thieves laid
around the depot until the train arrived.
The boys laid around watching them at
safe distances. Finally some of Jim
Warmers folks went down to the depot
to take journey. So far as the thieves
were concerned this was entirely inno-
cent of trouble for them, but they had
Al, Sc %hn
since they left the bank.
Warmers folks bought their tickets.
One of the thieves went to the ticket
window and bought two tickets for Man
kato, pulling his hat down over his eyes
as far as possible, while the other re-
manned outside and on the rear plat
form. We believe it was Mr.. Hyde who
went into the depot and saw the tickets
bought.
When the men boarded the train and
she had pulled out the boys began the
capture. They telepgrahed the facts to
st. James, and asked that officers be at
the train when she arrived to take two
men into custody, and for some reason,
whether purposely or because there were
no passengers at Mountain Lake and
Butterfield to get on or off, the train
ran through both towns at furious
speed, so that the men had no opportun-
ity to get off, besides the conductor was
posted as to what was expected.
When the train stopped at st. James
the city marshal and Milo DeWolf of
this place made the arrest. The marshal
went into the car with gun in each
hand, while Milo went in with a grip as
though he were a passenger, each look
ing for a seat. When the two suspects
were located the marshal put gun in
each mans face and ordered him to hold
up his hands, which was obeyed instant
ly, while Milo made a search for arms,
finding each man provided with two
guns. These were taken from them and
they were taken from the train.
1t seems that when the arrest was
made the officers neglected to take a
grip which was in the rack above their
heads, and that the train carried it to
Lake Crystal, where the agent was no.
titled to get possession of and return it
on the next train, which he did, sealing
it to be sure no one would tamper with
it. The men were cool enough when
arrested, protested their innocence, and
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