Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-11
Crank Demands $4,000
From Omaha Bank Official.
Threatens TO Drop Bottle Of
Nitro-GIyesrine Il Denied.
Enticsd Outside, 0verpowsrsd and
Admits Attempting Bluff.

Omaha. Neb., March 1O.-At 10 o'clock
| this morning a man. later identified as
l.. l.. Fee of Rockford. ILL.,, entered
| the Merchants National Bank of this
| city and demanded a large sum of
money, at the same time displaying
a bottle believed to contain nitro
glycerine and threatening to blow up
the bank if his request was refused.
The man entered the bank soon after
it was opened and asked to see Vice
President Luther Drake In his private
office.
Mr.. Drake seated himself opposite
the man who began talking in ram
bling manner about HAVING had $4,000
in the National Bank o. commerce In
Kansas City when that bank failed.
And since all you fellows are in to-
gether, YOU had just better hand me
over my money or I'll blow you and
this bank and all Of us to H" sud-
denly said the fellow producing q
three-ounce bottle containing a thick
yellow liquid.
Don't you make a move. This is
filled with nitro-glycerine. II you
move you are a dead man."
"Well. I'll go and get you the mon
ey," said Drake, rising.
"Sit down. said the man. IF you
get up again without permission III
just drop this bottle"
Drake sat down. Drake 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
was thin and pinched, Drake asked
him if he was not hungry.
Il have been studying over this mat
ter for several days and have not
eaten a thing for As hours" was the
response.
well, let's go have breakfast and
talk this over" proposed Drake.
"All right. but don't try any mon
key business or you are dead man.,
replied the Granger.
Presidnn Hamilton Of the bank had
entered the next room and heard
enough of the talk to enable him to
know what was going on. AS Drake
and tho man left the room together
Hamilton telcphoned the police station
for plain clothes men and followed
the two men to a nearby restaurant.
Drake and the man were on opposite
sides of the table when the detectives
ACCOMPANIED Dy ftdInlltOn entered tn6
room. Slipping up behind the stranger
the detectives pinioned his arms and
relieved him of his bottle. He was
then taken to the police station.
There he refused to talk The bottle
was sent to a chemist for analysis.
At the police station later the man
gave his name as l.. l.. Fee, and said
he came from Rockford. Ills, last Oc-
tober. Since then Fee has lived in
Omaha and has been out of work. He
is a plumber. He acknowledged that he
never was in Kansas City and that the
bottle contained no nitro glycerine.
The police took the bottle to the
river bank and fired into it with a
rifle. The bottle was broken but there
was no explosion. The police believe
Fee is insane.
Fee had been drawing IS month
from the Plnnl.tr' Union, because of
nOn-employroul aince coming here.
Fee admittei That his story of hav
ing money in "a bank in Kansas City
was untrue. He said he had read of
banks being robbed in the manner
he attempted and that he determined
to try the scheme. He insisted that the
bottle contained only water with
coloring material in 1t.