Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-10-15
LONE BANK R0BBER
DIES BY OWN HAND
BANDIT, CALLING HIMSELF J. C
WILSON, HOLDS UP HIGHLAND
PARK INSTITUTION.
TRIES TO FLEE IN AUTOMOBILE.
Posse Starts in Pursuit When Alarm Is
Given, but Fugitive Turns and
Commits Suicide.
ALL THE LOOT is RECOVERED

CHICAGO. Ill. Oct. 14.-After hold
ing up the d. NJ. Erskine x CO. bank
at Highland park Wednesday afternoon
in true western fashion and forcing the
employees at the point of an inferior re-
volver to turn over S471, an unidentified
bandit. when run to cover by a posse OF
100 citizens. with bullet wound i'll his
side inflicted by one of his pursuers, COM
mitted suicide by sending bullet
through his mouth. The money was in
his pockets.
Before taking refuge in a coal shed.
the robber fought desperately with his
revolver. one shot penetrating the left
arm of Jack Sheahan, city marshal In
the chase of two blocks by the posse
shots were fred at the fleeing bandit,
one bullet striking him in the left side
near the heart. causing wound that
no doubt would have caused death.
Auto Refuses to Start.
Failure of the crank of an automobile
TO work spoiled the robbers plan of es-
cape. He had hired Fred Schwab,
chauffeur for James Keelyn, wealthy
mine owner of Evanston, to drlve MN
TO the bank in Mr.. Keelyn's touring car
After emerging from the bank with his
away as quickly as possible. The crank
refused to work. Meanwhile the em-
ployes Of the bank had given the alarm
and when the robber saw the crowd run
ming toward the machine he jumped from
the car and the pistol duel began.
The dead robber has several aliases
He registered at the Avenue house. BY
anston. Tuesday night as ]. G. Wilson.
Milwaukee. He was identified last night
as guest at the La Sale hotel last
week. where he registered as l.. y. Har-
rison A bill found in his pocket showed
that he was at the Raleigh hotel, Wash
ington, d. c., October l and >.
The posse that pursued the bank rob
Der was composed of business men ana
city officials, including Mayor Dooley
who swore in every man on the street
while the fight was in progress. Rifles
shotguns and revolvers were i'll the
hands Of the citizens and more than
forty shots we're fired.
Bullet Through Mouth.
When the robber was surrounded IN
the she'd he made Il last attempt to
break through the circle of guns. Realiz-
ing that escape was impossible he placed
the muzzle of his revolver in his mouth
and pulled the trigger, the last cartridge
IN his possession, ending his life.
The robbery raised Highland Park to-
intense excitement that lasted late last
night. groups gathering in stores and
on wind-swept street corners to go over
the incidents of the day.
The robbery has several unexplained
features that the police say may involve,
the chauffeur. He is under arrest. but
claims innocence Of any part i'll the rob-
berry. lie was captured while trying
to crank his machine and made no re-
sistance.
Marshal Near Bank.
The robbery occurred when the streets
outside the bank were fairly we'll filed.
Marshal Shehan was just outside the
bank.
The robber had been in the bank sew
eral times during the day and it was his
suspicious looks that prevented his Sc
curing about $4,000. Cashier John Duffy
placed $500 in the vault because, he
said after the robbery, he did not like
the looks of the stranger.