Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-18
Cashier Looked in Vault,
Looting at Leisure.
CARRY BOOTY IN OPEN DAYL1GA
Chautauaua Bank Loses $4,000, but
-Four Posses Are only Half
Hour Behind the Bold
Robbers.

COFFEYVILLE, Kan, April 1.-TWO
men entered the Citizens State bank at
Chautauaua. twenty-five miles west OF
Coffeyville, at $50 this 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 5000 ana
escaped into the Usage hills across the line
in Oklahoma Four posses are in pursuit
and as the roads are muddy it is believed
the robbers will be captured The robbers
secured only half an hours start.
The robbery was one of the most daring
ever executed in this part of Kansas, the
scene of many holdups on the part OF the
Dalton, Starr and other gangs of outlaws
who from time to time have made their
rendezvous in the mountainous country OF
nearby Oklahoma.
Cashier Locked in Vault.
Cashier walterhouse had scarcely opened
the bank at Chautauqua this morning ano
LACED his currency on the counter ready
ior the days business when the two rob-
bers entered The only other person in the
place was Del Easley. The robbers, both
OF them we'll dressed. made their way di-
rectly to the cashiers window. One OIL
them was a man well known about town
and when he commanded Walterhouse ano
Easley to throw up their hands the latter
two took the matter in the light of joke
The serious intentions of the robbers were
realized a moment later, however, wher
they both drew revolvers and pointing them
at their victims ordered them to get into
the vault. Without further ado Walter
house and Easley both complied. The rob
bers quickly slammed the door shut and
then leisurely went about their business ol
lootng the bank.
Boldly Walk Away.
First they drew down the window shades
facing the street and locked the doors &c
prevent interference. When they hac
scraped up all the money in sight they
walked out the front entrance and up the
main street One of the men carried 9
gunnysack. Several persons who knew tbs
man whom Walterhouse and Easley say Il
well known Chautauqua character spok'
to him in a friendly manner. Nothing II
the appearance of the two robbers betrayed
the part they had just played. A biocl
| away they mounted horses that they hat
tied at the curbing and rode off, Afte
going a few blocks from the center of tn
town they directed their horses south TO
ward the Oklahoma Kansas state line an'
whipped them into gallop.
The robbery was not discovered till hal
an hour later, when J. II. Edwards, presi
dent Of the bank. entered his office. Ate
releasing walterhouse and Easley from tn
vault President Edwards gave the alarm
locally and to surrounding towns. Within
another thirty minutes posses had beei
made up in Chautauqua and at Elgin AM
Sedan, Kan, and Pawhuska, Okl all con
tiguous to the. scene Of the robbery. an
from three sides armed men began no
! chase after the robbers.
Rbbber Was borrower.
CHAUTAUQUA, Kan, April 1L-C. {
Walterhouse, cashier of the Citizens Stat
bank of Chautauqua, which was robbie
this morning by two men, stated posiuvel
| today that one of the robbers was william
Tenant aged %, formerly of Chautauqu
and who recently escaped from jail a
Nowata, Okl., where he was being held o
charge of horse stealing. Tenant som
time ago borrowed a small sum of none
from the bank and Mr. Walterhouse sal
that when Tenant entered the bank thi
morning he supposed he had come to rene'