The Mena weekly star., 1908-04-23
LOCKED IN 4 VAULT
CASHIER AND CUSTOMER OF KAN. SAs BANK HELD UP IN
 BROAD DAYLIGHT.
SECURED iLL TIE CURRENCY IN sIGHT
Citizens State Bank at Chautaqua the Victim of Bandits Early Friday Morning-Robbers Succeed in Get ting Away On Horseback Closely Pursued by Posses.

Cheryvale, Kan, Apr 1S.-Two men entered the Citizens State bank at Chautauqua, 25 miles west of Coffey- vile at 9:30 Friday morning, and after forcing Cashier c. c. Walterhouse and Del. Easley, a business man, to enter the vault, locked them In, secured all the currency in sight, amounting to about $3,000, and escaped into tho Osage hills across the line in Okla homa. Four posses are In pursuit and as the roads are muddy 1t is believed the robbers will be captured. The robbers secured but half an hours start.
 The robbery was one of the most daring ever executed in this part of Kansas, the scene of many bold hold ups on the part of the Dalton, Starr and other gangs of outlaws who from time to time have made their rendez- vous in the mountainous country of nearby Oklahoma.
 Cashier Walterhouse had scarcely opened the bank at Chautauqua Fri day morning and placed his currency on the counter ready for the days business when the two robbers en- tered. The only other person In the place was Del. Easley. The robbers both of them we'll dressed, entered and made their way leisurely to the cash ier's window. One of them was man well known about town, and when he commanded Walterhouse and Eas- two took the matter in the light of joke. The serious intentions of the robbers was realized a moment later, however, when they both drew revol- vers and pointing them at their vic tims ordered them to get into the vault. Without further ado Walter house and Easley both complied. The robbers quickly slammed the door shut, and then leisurely went about their business of footing the bank.
 First they drew down the window shades facing the street and locked the doors to prevent interference. When they had scraped up all the money in sight they walked out the front entrance and up the main street One of the men carried a gunny sack Several persons who knew the man whom Walterhouse and Easley say is well-known Chautauqua character, spoke to him in a friendly manner. Nothing in the appearance of the rob bers betrayed the part they had just played A block away they mounted ing and drove of After going few blocks from the center of the town they directed their horses south to- ward the Oklahoma-Kansas state line and whipped them into gallop. The robbery was not discovered till half an hour later when J. H. Edwards, president of the bank, entered. After releasing Walterhouse and Easley from the vault President Edwards gave the alarm locally and &o sur rounding towns. Within another 30 minutes posses had been made up in Chautauqua, and at Elkin and Sedan, Kansas, and Pawhuska, Oklahoma, all contiguous to the scene of the robbery and from three sides the armed men began hot chase after the robbers.
 c. c. Walterhouse, cashier of the bank, stated positively that one of the robbers was William Tenant. aged 23 years, formerly of Chautauqua, and who recently escaped from jail at Nowata, Oklahoma, where he was be- ing held on a charge of horse stealing Tenant some time ago borrowed a small sum of money from the bank and MT. Walterhouse said that when he entered the bank Friday morning he supposed he had come to renew the note or take 1t up.