The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-10-22

One of the boldest hold ups ever
perpetrated in the state, occurred a.
Sawyer at nine thirty o'clock Satur
day night, when four masked mer
entered the general store of James
McKinnon, about the time that he
and his clerk, ]. E. Johnson, were
preparing to close the store, and al
the point of three wicked looking
six shooters compelled the men tc
hold up their hands. One of them
ordered McKinnon to pull down the
curtains and lock the front door.
and the proprietor lost no time in
complying with this demand, for he
saw that the men were desperate
and meant business.
They then ordered Johnson to
stand with his face against the wall
and proceeded to go thru his pock-
cts. Finding but a little change
and his watch, they did not take
anything from his clothes, but were
more successful when they search
ed McKinnon. They took his wallet
containing $133 in currency and five
drafts amounting to about $500 the
result Of the days business.
Ordering the two men to remain
quietly in the store and not poke
their heads out for fear of getting
shot they left the store thru the
rear door and struck out over the
prairie ives
!. After they had been gone for
about fifteen minutes McKinnon thot
best to notify the authorities and
telephoned to Sheriff Lee at Minot.
Lee sent a number of deputies in
Guiding E. D. Kelley Dick Stein
hofer. Otto Meisch, Hans 'Hovind and
Nick Thilgeu to Sawyer at once on
= 500 hand car. The tracks being
icy it required two hours and fifteen
minutes to get to that town when
the deputies began at once a search
for a clue to the direction in (which
the bandits went Steinhofer first
found the trail of the men LEADING
from the rear of the store and by
means of the snowOit was determlp-
ed that they had gone in wester::
ly direction. It. WIS not possible
to do much tracki4g until morning
vet the deputies struck out that
night and made some progress At
one time a number Of the posse
took. some of theft own men for
the bandits and ordered them TO-
hold up their hands No shots were
fired however and no damage done
AS. soon as daylight came, better
progress was male. The bandits
were tracked across the prairie
taru the fields and: along the. roads
sor distance of fourteen miles IN
til they were twelve miles south
and one. mile west of Minot, and
found them in a school house near
the O. l.. Toftner farm in the act
of cooking their Sunday dinner.
They had stopped a part of the
night at Ro' Klimpel's place.
and pulled hay out Of the stack.
themselves in the stack.
They bought eggs and potatoes
from "a farmer and were boiline
these when the; posse passed the
school house in rig. Thedeputies
drove up to a farm house half a
mile west of the school house and
began to unhitch their team, and
the bandits, seeing them, left the
school building thru window and
started running across the prairie
in an opposite direction. The
horses were Immediately hitched up
again and the posse started in pur-
suit. When not a great ways. from
the bold fellows, the deputies brot
their rifles to their shoulders and
the bandits came up as
far as they could possibly reach
The other merely raised his hands
a little, and was admonished to do
a good job Of it.. Seeing that there
was NO use to make a fight, he rails
ed his hands as the others did and
the deputies son had them In hand
cuffs Three guns were foun on
them, = % automatic Colt, and two
liver & Johnson revolvers. Several
,jsck knives also were found, but
no other weapons. All Of the
checks stolen, and ~ in cur7endt
v@e recovered. Tbe mn were afot
= 49, = 90 al ars How
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