The Irish standard., 1908-03-14
Demands BANK Cash
!. on PAIN OF death
A SUPPOSED lUNArlc CAUSES
EXCITEMENT IN OMAHA Fl.
~ .NANclAL INSTITUTION.

THREATENS TO BLOW
I: UP. PLACE ON REFUSAL
Carries Bottle Believed to Contain
Deadly Exploslve-Man Arrested
While In ParIsy-Peilee Think
He 10 insane.
Omaha, Neb.. Mar. ia bold At
tempt was made Tuesday morning to
rob the Merchants National bank at
Thirteenth and Farnam streets by q
man who. although at first thought to
be q desperate criminal. il now be-.
lieved by the police to be . lunatic.
The man gave his name al L. l. Fee,
formerly of Rockford, Ill. He walked
into the bank soon after it opened.
and. menacing Vice President Luther
Drake with bottle which he said
contained n1tro.glycerine, demanded
$4,000 cash. Mr.. Drake. though be-
heving for the moment that his life
and those Of his fellow officials and
employees of the bank might be In i'm.
minent danger, conferred calmly with
the would.be robber until other on
cials' called the police and the man
was taken into custody. Tests by the
police seem to show that the con-
tents Of the bottle were harmless.
The man entered the bank soon
after the doors were thrown open and
asked to sec Vice.President Luther
Drake In his private once.
Threatens to Blow Up Bank.
Drake seated himself opposite the
man. who began talking in . rambling
manner about having had $1,000 In
the National Bank of Commerce in
Kansas City when that bank failed.
"And since all you fellows are in to-
esther, you had just better hand me-
over my money OF I'll blow you and
this bank and all Of Us to hell" sud
denly said the fellow, producing Z
threeounce bottle containing q thick
yellow liquid. .ts,'g.,,
sDon't you, make q move. This 10
filled with nitro-glycerine If you
move, you are q dead man."
"You don't want to die yourself. do
your" coolly asked Drake.
'ohs yes, came here ready to die"
responded the stranger, ;"but when I
die. I'll take everybody in this: build
ing with me-" w.,
well, I'll 60 and get you tho
money" said Drake, arising from his
chair. .t::'' :, ?. T. "'Hi,,,' ~. :
"sit: down" said the anarchist. IF
you get UP again without permission
I'll drop. this bottle. You know what
will happen"
Drake sat down. He then told the
man he would talk 1t over with him,
and the stranger accepted, all the time
keeping the bottle in his hand and
within sight.
Noticing that the man seemed thin
and pinched. Drake asked him II he
wasn't hungry. -.
II have been studying over this mat.
ter for several days. and have not
eaten thing for 48 hours" answered
the man with the bottle.
well, let's go have breakfast and
talk this over" proposed Drake.
IAN right, but don't try any monkey
business or you are dead man."
replied the anarchist.
President Hears Conversation.
President Hamilton Of the bank en-
tered the next room during the con.
versation and heard enough of It to
enable him to know what was 20
ing on.
AS Drake and the stranger left the
room together Hamilton telephoned
the police station for plain clothes
men and followed the two men to q
nearby restaurant. *... - IT,,
Drake and the. man were on oppo-
site sides of the table when three de-
tectives, accompanied by Hamilton, en-
tered the room. ..,
Slipping up behind the stranger, the
detectives pinioned his arms and re-
licved him of the bottle before he
knew what was up. .@a# tt'
Says He Came from Rockford, ~.
He was taken to, the police station,
whore he gave his name as L. l.. Fec,
and said that he came from Rockford,
ILL.,, last October, 49,. 49,, ..
Since then Fee has liyed in Omaha,
and has been out of work. He is a
plumber by trade. and has been draw
ing i've dollars q month from the
Plumbers union while out of work.
Fee acknowledged that he never
was in Kansas City. and that his story
of having money in bank in, that
city was untrue. Fee says he had
read. OF, banks being robbed in the
manner he attempted. and that he de.
termined to try the Scheme. He in.
sfsts that the bottle contained no
nitro.glyces1ne, but was only water
with .colorinE material lii It. :tt -.
The. police took the bottle to the
river bank and Aired into It with a
rifle. The bottle was broken, but there
was no explosion. The. police believe
yss Il insane: r =
,;Law Authority Passes Away, n!