Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-06-01

BANK ROBBERY AT MERRILL,
-Four Desperadoes From Chicago fold Up the Cashier of
the German American State Bank.

Last Friday afternoon, at three
O'Clock, four young men walked into
the German American State bank, at
Merrill, and waiting until the six or
eight customers had been attended to
and out of the bank, one of them
stepped up TO the window presided
over by r. c. Ballstadt, cashier, who
was then the only person in the bank
besides the four robbers, and request
ed small change for a five dollar bill.
When the change had been counted
out the cashier went to hand it over,
when to his CONSERVATION, he found
that he was covered by a thirty cali
Der Mauser rapid fire gun and told to
hold up his hands, which instructions
he obeyed forthwith Another of the
gang had by this time walked to
another window of the cage and also
had a gun aimed at the cashier, and
thus completely in the power of the
two, the other two walked behind the
counter and took what money the
cashier had about him with which to
carry on the business. The ring lead
er had satchel in which he placed
the money. Then going to the vaults,
they passed the main one which con-
tanned the funds of the bank, some
Sl5, 900, and went into one in which
there was very little cash, and after
getting what was in there the signal
was given and the holdup men left
the bank, taking with them only
$4,000. They departed through
the front door, and walked across the
street, down an alleyway to the st.
Paul railroad tracks which run along
the river bank, and then started on a
run south on the tracks. AS soon as
the men were outside, the cashier
gave the alarm, telephoning the police
station.
The account of the chase and cap
ture of two of the robbers is taken
from the Merrill Daily Herald:
THE CHASE.
''As soon as the alarm was turned
in by Cashier Ballstadt that the
bank was held up, Chief Calder and
the other policemen hurried to the
scene. Chief Calder Immediately
secured Winchester rifle and stock
of ammunition and ordered all those
who had guns, to follow. The robbers
were seen in their fight by gang of
section men and also several small
children. Mrs. ID. b. Reinhart and
sister, Margaret, who were sitting on
on Main street, were also witnesses of
the flight of the robbers. After cross
ing the bridge the robbers turned east
and took the path into Riverside park.
BY this time, the first of the posse
were in hot pursuit, and Chief Calder,
who was in Truax's dray wagon took
the road up the hill and circled around
the robbers and encountered them on
an open patch on the hill above the
park. Here he opened fire OF Them,
which fire was returned by the rob
bers. No one was injured in this ex-
change and finally the robbers, edging
gradually toward the cover of the
wood, still facing their pursuers, en-
tered. Chief Calder and the others
then followed them and it was here
that the two, who are now at large
escaped. They apparently hid in the
woods, while the other two, the man,
who was shot, and the young fellow,
who was captured, headed in a south
ernly direction. The two, who are
still at large, hid in this woods and
apparently made their way toward
the river and followed it southwark.
The posse was now gradually increas-
ing and automobiles were pressed in
to service to carry citizens with Win