The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-03-14
Demands BANK Cash
ON PAIN OF Death
A SUPPOSED LUNArlc CAUSES
EXCITEMENT IN OMAHA ~.
NANciAL INSTITUTION,
THREATENS TO BLOW
UP PLACE ON REFUSAL

Carries Bottle Believed to Contain
Deadly ExpIosive-Man Arrested
While In a Parisy-Pellee Think
He 10 Insane.
Omaha, Neb.. Mar. 11.-A bold at
tempt was made Tuesday morning to
rob the Merchants National bank at
Thirteenth and Farnam streets by a
man who, although at first thought to
be desperate criminal, is now be-
lieved by the police to be q lunatic.
The man gave his name rs 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 nitro-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 Off.
cials called the police and the man
was taken into custody. Tests by the
| PoAS9 SWELL w buoW IAS NOu.
tents Of the bottle were harmless.
The man entered the bank soon
after the doors were thrown open and
asked to see Vice.President Luther
Drake In his private office.
Threatens to Blow Up Bank.
Drake seated himself opposite the
man, who began talking in a rambling
manner about having had $4,000 in
the National Bank Of Commerce in
Kansas City when that bank failed.
And since all you fellows are in to-
gether. you had just better hand mo
over my money OF I'll blow you and
this bank and all of us to hell" sud
denly said the fellow, producing 4
three-ounce bottle containing q thick
yellow liquid.
Don't you make a move. This In
filled with nitro-glycerine. II you
move, you are a dead man."
you don't want to die yourself. do
you?" coolly asked Drake.
"Oh, yes. came here ready to die"
responded the stranger, "but when
die I'll take everybody in this build
ing with me-" g..
well, I'll go. and get you tho
money" said Drake, arising from his
chair. 80
"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.
Il have been studying over this mat.
ter for several days, and have not
eaten thing for 4S hours" answered
the man with the bottle.
well, let's go have breakfast and
talk this over" proposed Drake.
"All right. but don't try any monkey
business or you are dead mar"
replied the anarchist.
President Hears Conversation.
President Hamilton of the bank en-
tered the next room during the con.
versation and heard enough of 1t to
enable him to know what was 60
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 a
nearby restaurant.
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-
lieved him of the bottle before he
knew what was up.
Says He Came from Rockford, III.
He was taken to the police station.
whore he gave his name as L. l.. Fee.
and said that he came from Rockford,
ILL.,, last October. .,..
Since then Fee has lived in Omaha,
and has been out of work. He is a
plumber by trade. and has been draw
ing five dollars 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 a 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.
sists that the bottle contained no
nitro.glycerine. but was only water
with a .coloring material In 1t.
| The police took the bottle to the
river bank aud fired into 1t with a
rife. The bottle was broken, but there
was no explosion. The police believe
Fee is insane.
LAW Authority Passes Away. J!
New York, Mar. M.--Advices from
Atlantic, City, N. j., announced the