Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-10-01
BOLD ROBBERS
BLOW BANK SAFE
$4,000 Neatly Extracted from Sale
OF State Bank Early Tuesday
While Citizens Looked on.

menSiOnS OF a Jesse James eplsOue Ol
by-gone days. The first explosion
which took place about . O'Clock
awakened numerous citizens who
live in the vicinity, some of whom
made bold to emerge from their
doors to investigate, but were loud
" and firmly told to keep indoors.
The bank people have kept the
big safe sitting close to the window
in plain sight from the street, with
the idea that the prominence of their
trOng box was an assurance
against attempted robbery. There
were no electric lights after midnight
that night CAS- has been the case for
the past fortnight but whether
that fact gave the robbers added
courage is a matter OF conjecture, as
they had a blazing torch to work by.
The first explosion blew Off the
doors of the safe and shattered every
light of glass in the bank. The rob-
bers appeared to take their time, as
it was ten or fifteen minutes before
the next explosion took place, which
was calculated to open the steel
chest. This evidently proved unsuc-
cessful, as there was another and
heavier explosion later
1t was nearly half an hour after
the first explosion before the burg
lars walked away with their booty.
With a score or more people watch
ing them, no trace is found of them
further than they went towards the
Wisconsin Central depot. They
could have done the job almost as
we'll in daylight-with the exception
of making their "get away
Preliminary to breaking into the
back door of the bank, r. J. Sands
hardware store was entered, by un-
locking the front door and three
shot guns and ammunition were tax
en-. From these and their revOlvers
yOlleys were frequently fired in the
direction of any lights which ap-
peared, or where there appeared to
be too much activity upon the part
of the spec tatOrs. To guard
against concerted a t o against
them, one of the robbers guarded
Miss Frances Kilgore, the night op-
orator at the telephone office, gain
ing admittance by forcing the lock
on the door.
Night Officer Peter Gordon, hear
ing the disturbance, hurried to the
scene, but was o r d T e d to keep
away. He emptied his revolver
from in front of Vaughan's store in
the direction of the bank, and in re-
turn got volley in his direction, a
buck-shot entered his right arm.
Ex-Mayor S. j. Cardinal was stand
ing near the officer at the time with
a lighted lantern. Mr.. Cardinal is
practically blind without a lantern
at night-he went home.
There are several bullet marks on
the Baker hotel. MONEYS drug
store and the Thompson building.
One shot struck the window casing
close to DR.. l.. M. Landmarks head
he pulled in his head.
The exact number composing the
gang is not known, but there were
at least six, half of them acted as
sentinels along the streets in differ
ent directions. cautiOning people to
keep away. Quite a few people con-
gregated in the office of the Baker,
our mayor among the number, be-
came frightened when q couple OF
other spectators whom they did not
recogOniZe as such, came scCrrying g
across the street to the hotel for
shelter, and every mothers son
except one man who was cripple
flew up stairs to his room and
locked the door.
Officer o. H. McNalIy, Sheriff j. HI.
Reed and Undersheriff VIM. DOdsOn
were on the scene Immediately after
the thieves left. A pair OF blood
hounds were secured, but proved
either too young or the people who
had charge of them did not know
how to make them "wOrk." The
sheriff and posse took a Central en-
gine and went north about twenty
miles on the suppOsition that the
robbers had made their escape on a
hand car, although none was miss
ing from the yards. Returning, the
sheriff stopped off at Murray. and
Officer McNally went to Sheldon
but no clues were found in either
direction. Surrounding towns were
notified at once and a watch being
kept on all railroad trains.
Assistant Cashier B. E. French
evidently had a ''hunch' Monday as
before closing for the day he divided
the cash on hand, putting about
half of it in the vault, else the loss
would have been much greater.
Before banking hours, one of the
business men of Ladysmith deposit
ed ST, ,105.15 and they received all the
help they needed to tide them over
until they secure funds from theil
repositories. The bank was doing
business shortly after 8 o'clock.
Z here was one lone man came will
a frightened look and said he hal