Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-02-03
EFFICACY OF RELIGION.

AsS 10 lur. fSlce asked report
er Of The Democrat Friday morning
as the ex-bark robber and one-time
bad man" was approached by repre-
sentatives of that paper and the
News. II am. and II you are news
paper men, Pm. glad to see you.
had intended to call at your offices
this afternoon"
Such was the expression of his cor.
dtality when interviewed in the Globe
hotel that morning, and what a won.
drous tale this reformed man told;
now, from mere lad, he had been
led into ways that have no good end
irg, eventually sinking lower and low:
er into that strata from which house
breakers, bank robbers and hold up
men, and finally, through the power
Of religion, had Eeen converted, and
was now actively engaged in evang-
elistic work.
His story was one of interest, and
around the little group were drawn
q few travelling men who were snow.
bound, for the day was cold and an
exact contrast of the evening when
six desperate and fearless men laid
their plans on July 81. 1896, to rob
the private bank at Greeley. That in.
c!dent is history now; people re.
member that the men escaped with
their booty, and that three of them
were captured n mile south of Spring
Hranch by posses Iced by ex-Sheriff
9. H. Odell, and ex-deputies R. W.
Fishel and John Malven. They were
confined in the county Jail in Man
chester from August to October IA,
when Judge A. s. Blair sentenced
them to seven years Imprisonment in
the. state penitentiary at Anamosa.
MIR. Rice was born in Ohio forty
years ago in the city of Toledo. His
mother died when he was only lad
and later with his father and
brothers moved to st. Louis. There
he. began a career -of lawlessness,
drinking heavily, and associating with
men in whom goodness was a neglect
ed virtue He became Nomad, HIT
ing. the trail for southern Missouri,
where he fell in with house breakers.
He was arrested several times for
petty thievery, and served Jail sent
encis but not until after several year,
of such life, did he assist in the bank
robbery at Greeley.
81 was at Ottumwa," said Mr.. Rice,
and broke. reckoned was down
on my luck. 1 had pal with me,
whom had been working with for
some time. We met four other fell
lows, got to drinking, and one of
our newly made acquaintances ad-
vised us Of the bank at Greeley, and
how easy 1t would be to break it. i
was tsent to that town to lay some
plans. / was there day or two, and
then Joined the bunch who were in
hiding near Delaware and Delhi,
spending their time by playing cards
and planning the robbery.
Eve were waiting for stormy
night. We were not disappointed as
to the genuineness of the rain. Last
night Thursday was no comparison
to 1t. The thunder and lightning was
something terrible. and how it rained.
We walked from Delaware up the
Milwaukee track and reached Greeley
all right. We found hand car and
placed 1t conveniently where we
needed 1t. Everything worked nicely,
until q track walker appeared, com
ing from the north. and another
fellow took care of him. Just grabb-
ed him and locked him up in box
car. He wasn't found until the next
day at noon.
THAT part of the program delayed
us, and we had to hurry. The dope
we used to crack, the safe had to be
renewed and we gave the old thing
a double ose. l remember parts of
1t flew clear across the street. We
made q pretty getaway with ABOUT
$500 and a lot of paper, mortgages
and so forth. No, we didn't stop to-
shake hands with anybody.
1--WE ran that hand car down to
Oneida and hoped to catch passen-
ger east. AS 1t was SO late, we had
missed it, SO we went on down to
Delaware. But to make long story
short, we landed after while down
in the woods south Of the bridge at
Spring Branch. had stopped to
tie my shoe string, and was that
sleepy and tired that l keeled right
over and was dead to the world. The
other three fellows did the same
thing.